  Decoherence is associated with a dissipative environment as described by the
Caldeira-Leggett equation. Anglin and Zurek predicted that a resistive surface
could act as such a dissipative environment for a free electron wave passing
close to it. We scrutinize Zurek's and other promising decoherence theoretical
models by observing electrons passing by an optically excited GaAs surface and
through a gold channel. The high resistivity of the GaAs surface and close
proximity to the gold surface leads to strong decoherence within these
decoherence models. In contradistinction, the observed contrast is high in our
electron diffraction patterns. This implies lower decoherence rates than
suggested by these models, making electron-matter-wave-guides and other
technologies, where quantum coherence of electrons close to materials is
important, a possibility
