From quantum to quantum via decoherence

Abstract

Various physical effects resulting from decoherence are discussed in the algebraic framework. In particular, it is shown that the environment may induce not only classical properties like superselection rules, pointer states or even classical behavior of the quantum system, but, what is more, it also allows the transition from statistical description of infinite quantum systems to quantum mechanics of systems with a finite number of degrees of freedom. It is shown that such transition holds for the quantum spin system in the thermodynamic limit interacting with the phonon field.