Decoherence and Quantum Darwinism: From Quantum Foundations to Classical Reality

Zurek, Wojciech Hubert

ISBN 10: 1009552902 / ISBN 13: 9781009552905

Published by Cambridge University Press, 2025

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Bibliographic Details

• Title: Decoherence and Quantum Darwinism: From Quantum Foundations to Classical Reality
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press
• Publication Date: 2025
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1009552902
• ISBN 13: 9781009552905
• Binding: Hardcover
• Condition: New

About this title

Synopsis

The measurement problem has been a central puzzle of quantum theory since its inception, and understanding how the classical world emerges from our fundamentally quantum universe is key to its resolution. While the 'Copenhagen' and 'Many Worlds' interpretations have dominated discussion of this philosophically charged question, Zurek builds on the physics of decoherence and introduces the theory of 'Quantum Darwinism' to provide a novel account of the emergence of classical reality. Opening with a modern view of quantum theory, the book reconsiders the customary textbook account of quantum foundations, showing how the controversial axioms (including Born's rule) follow from the consistent core postulates. Part II discusses decoherence and explores its role in the quantum-to-classical transition. Part III introduces Quantum Darwinism, explaining how an information-theoretic perspective complements, elucidates, and reconciles the 'Copenhagen' and 'Many Worlds' interpretations. This insightful book is essential reading for any student or researcher interested in quantum physics.

About the Author

Wojciech Hubert Zurek is credited with developing the theory of decoherence. He is also known for Quantum Darwinism, the no-cloning theorem (a cornerstone of quantum information), and quantum discord. Applications of the Kibble–Zurek mechanism that describes the creation of topological defects in phase transitions range from cosmology to condensed matter physics. Member of the National Academy of Sciences and a Fellow of the American Physical Society, Zurek is a recipient of the Smoluchowski and Los Alamos Medals and a Humboldt Prize. He is a Laboratory Fellow at Los Alamos, Doctor Honoris Causa of the University of Science and Technology in Cracow (AGH), the Jagiellonian University, and was Einstein Professor at the Ulm University.