Max-Planck-Institut für Physik (Werner-Heisenberg-Institut), Föhringer Ring 6, 80805 München, Germany
Abstract:
We discuss fluctuations in the measurement process and how these fluctuations are related to the dissipational parameter characterizing quantum damping or decoherence. On the example of the measuring current of the variable-barrier or QPC problem we discuss the extra noise or fluctuation connected with the different possible outcomes of a measurement. This noise has an enhanced short time component which could be interpreted as due to “telegraph noise” or “wavefunction collapses”. Furthermore, the parameter giving the strength of this component is related to the parameter giving the rate of damping or decoherence.