Abstract
We develop a non-relativistic formulation for the quantum dynamics of an electron coupled to its own radiation field. For this purpose, we have applied the Feynman-Vernon approach to the composite system in order to obtain the reduced density operator of the electron. In the classical limit, some well known results are reproduced such as the Abraham-Lorentz equation of motion. We have applied the resulting formalism to the problem of electronic interference in order to investigate the possible effects of the incoherent modes of the electromagnetic radiation on the interference fringes. The results allow us to conclude that the coupling to the radiation field destroys the interference fringes in a time scale that can be controlled by the parameters involved in the preparation of the initial state of the system.
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© 1990 Plenum Press, New York
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Barone, P.M.V.B., Caldeira, A.O. (1990). Influence of the Radiation Field on the Process of Electronic Interference. In: Baeriswyl, D., Bishop, A.R., Carmelo, J. (eds) Applications of Statistical and Field Theory Methods to Condensed Matter. NATO ASI Series, vol 218. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4684-5763-6_7
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4684-5763-6_7
Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA
Print ISBN: 978-1-4684-5765-0
Online ISBN: 978-1-4684-5763-6
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