Measuring the measurement problem: controlling decoherence with measurement duration in molecular MCB junctions
Abstract
We investigate the influence of the measurement duration on quantum coherence in molecular mechanically controlled break junctions operating in a tetrahydrofuran (THF) partially wet phase. These systems represent a distinct class of enclosed open quantum systems with unusually long decoherence times at ambient conditions, on the order of 1-20 ms. By tuning the integration time of the current measurement in current-voltage (IV) characteristics, relative to the decoherence time, we observe a transition from quantum interference patterns, manifested as structured bands of data points, to classical behavior characterized by a single averaged response. This demonstrates that the duration of a measurement acts as a controllable parameter for probing quantum behavior in molecular junctions, offering new insights into decoherence dynamics in quantum mechanics.
Cite
@article{arxiv.2510.01945,
title = {Measuring the measurement problem: controlling decoherence with measurement duration in molecular MCB junctions},
author = {C. J. Muller},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2510.01945},
year = {2025}
}