STOCHASTIC SIMULATIONS OF THE QUANTUM ZENO EFFECT

We perform stochastic simulations of the quantum Zeno effect experimen t of the type realized with trapped cooled ions. The results are caref ully examined for the case where the experiment is performed on a sing le atomic particle. The results of the simulations for a single ion ex hibit the probabilistic behavior that is required to satisfy the colla pse of the wave-packet hypothesis. When a large ensemble of ions is de scribed by the simulations, the results are the same as those produced using the density-matrix method. In this way the stochastic simulatio n methods provide a link between these two approaches, as they are com patible with each in the appropriate regime. The results are also disc ussed in terms of what may be observed experimentally given the practi cal limitations of performing experiments with individual ions.