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Decoherence from quantum spacetime noise: An open-system framework with application to neutrino oscillations

Partha Nandi1,2,*, Tiasha Bhattacharyya3,4,†, A. S. Majumdar5,‡, Graeme Pleasance1,2,§, and Francesco Petruccione1,2,6,∥

  • *Contact author: pnandi@sun.ac.za
  • †Contact author: tiashab.phy@gmail.com
  • ‡Contact author: archan@bose.res.in
  • §Contact author: gpleasance1@gmail.com
  • ∥Contact author: petruccione@sun.ac.za
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Phys. Rev. Research 8, 023130 – Published 7 May, 2026

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/qm1b-snfj

Abstract

We present a general open-quantum-system framework to model decoherence induced by stochastic Planck-scale fluctuations of spacetime, focusing on the κ-Minkowski noncommutative geometry as a representative quantum gravity scenario. Treating the deformation parameter as Gaussian white noise, we derive a Lindblad-type master equation applicable to arbitrary quantum systems and obtain a distinctive inverse-energy scaling of the decoherence rate, Γ∝E−4. As an illustrative example, we analyze a three-level system motivated by neutrino flavor oscillations and derive closed-form expressions for survival and transition probabilities with spacetime-induced damping. The E−4 scaling contrasts sharply with the positive power laws often invoked in quantum gravity phenomenology and predicts negligible decoherence for high-energy neutrinos—consistent with IceCube observations—while implying that the strongest effects arise in the extreme low-energy regime. In this context, the sub-eV-scale energies characteristic of the cosmic neutrino background provide a natural infrared benchmark for illustrating the enhanced sensitivity to quantum spacetime fluctuations. Our results establish a unified formalism connecting quantum information methods, open-system dynamics, and quantum spacetime phenomenology, thereby offering a framework for exploring potential signatures of Planck-scale physics in future low-energy neutrino studies.

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Phys. Rev. Research 8, 023130– Published 7 May, 2026
  • Received 7 August 2025
  • Accepted 1 February 2026
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