Abstract
Quantum time dilation occurs when a clock moves in a superposition of relativistic momentum wave packets. The lifetime of an excited hydrogenlike atom can be used as a clock, which we use to demonstrate how quantum time dilation manifests in a spontaneous emission process. The resulting emission rate differs when compared with the emission rate of an atom prepared in a mixture of momentum wave packets at order . This effect is accompanied by a quantum correction to the Doppler shift due to the coherence between momentum wave packets. This quantum Doppler shift affects the spectral line shape at order . However, its effect on the decay rate is suppressed when compared with the effect of quantum time dilation. We argue that spectroscopic experiments offer a technologically feasible platform to explore the effects of quantum time dilation.
- Received 7 July 2020
- Accepted 10 February 2021
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevResearch.3.023053
Published by the American Physical Society under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license. Further distribution of this work must maintain attribution to the author(s) and the published article's title, journal citation, and DOI.
Published by the American Physical Society