Macroscopic Quantum Tunneling(ISBN=9780521675710)

A well balanced account covering both experimental and theoretical aspects ? The main topic is set within the wider context of contemporary physics ? Accessible to graduate students with a rudimentary knowledge of quantum mechanics

Macroscopic quantum phenomena are particularly important when considering the problem of Schr?dinger's cat. This book contains a coherent and self-contained account of such phenomena, focusing on the central role played by macroscopic quantum tunneling. Beginning with an explanation of the nature and significance of the cat problem, Shin Takagi introduces the concept of macroscopic quantum tunneling. He deals with typical examples in detail, elucidating how quantum mechanical coherence may be lost (so-called 'decoherence') or how it may be maintained despite the effects of environment and measurement processes. Recent experimental and theoretical advances are discussed, and the remaining problems described. The final chapter describes an experiment to decide between quantum mechanics and macrorealism in the light of Einstein's moon. Assuming only a knowledge of elementary quantum mechanics, this book emphasises conceptual aspects rather than technical details. It provides a firm introduction to the subject for graduate students and researchers.

1. Introduction
2. Overview of macroscopic quantum tunneling
3. Some candidate systems for macroscopic quantum tunneling
4. Environmental problems
5. Harmonic environment
6. Quantum resonant oscillation in the harmonic environment
7. Quantum decay in the harmonic environment
8. General versus harmonic environments
9. The cat in the moonlight
10. Appendix A. Euclidean space and Hilbert space
11. Appendix B. Virtual ground state of a system of a single degree of freedom and its decay
12. Appendix C. Functional derivative
13. Appendix D. Miscellanea about spin
14. References.