Dephasing and inhibition of spin interference from semi-classical self-gravitation

Abstract

We present a detailed derivation of a model to study effects of self-gravitation from semi-classical gravity, described by the Schrödinger–Newton equation, employing spin superposition states in inhomogeneous magnetic fields, as proposed recently for experiments searching for gravity induced entanglement. Approximations for the experimentally relevant limits are discussed. Results suggest that spin interferometry could provide a more accessible route towards an experimental test of quantum aspects of gravity than both previous proposals to test semi-classical gravity and the observation of gravitational spin entanglement.