%0 Journal Article %J Physical review letters %D 2011 %T

Generation of macroscopic superpositions of quantum states by linear coupling to a bath.

%A Bhaktavatsala Rao, D %A Nir Bar-Gill %A Gershon Kurizki %X We demonstrate through an exactly solvable model that collective coupling to any thermal bath induces effectively nonlinear couplings in a quantum many-body (multispin) system. The resulting evolution can drive an uncorrelated large-spin system with high probability into a macroscopic quantum-superposition state. We discuss possible experimental realizations. %B Physical review letters %V 106 %G eng