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Quantum Zeno effect in the decay onto an unstable level

Michael B. Mensky
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Abstract

Under certain assumptions it is shown that the decay of level 2 of a three-level system onto level 1 is slowed down because of the further decay of level 1 onto level 0. It is argued that this phenomenon may be interpreted as a consequence of the quantum Zeno effect. The reason why this may be possible is that the second decay (or accompanying photon radiation) may be considered as a sign of the transition 2 -> 1 so that during the first transition the system is under continuous observation.

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Michael B. Mensky. 1999-08-18. Quantum Zeno effect in the decay onto an unstable level. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0375-9601(99)00290-x

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