Mesoscopic superpositions of states: approach to classicality and diagonalization in a coherent state basis

Abstract

I consider the interaction of a superposition of mesoscopic coherent states and its approach to a mixed state as a result of a suitably controlled environment. I show how the presence of a gain medium in a cavity can lead to diagonalization in coherent state basis in contrast to the standard model of decoherence. I further show how the new model of decoherence can lead to the generation of s-ordered quasidistributions.