The 2022 Nobel Prize for Physics AwardedThree scientists are responsible for pioneering experiments on quantum mechanics, the theory that describes the micro-world atoms and particles.
Alain Aspect from Université Paris-Saclay in France, John Clauser from J.F. Clauser & Associates in the US, and Anton Zeilinger from University of Vienna in Austria, will share the prize sum of 10 million Swedish kronor (US$915,000) “for experiments with entangled photons, establishing the violation of Bell inequalities and pioneering quantum information science”.
Quantum mechanics seems very strange indeed. In school, we are taught that we can use equations in physics to predict exactly how things will behave in the future – where a ball will go if we roll it down a hill, for example.
Quantum mechanics is a different kind of science. Quantum mechanics does not predict individual outcomes. It tells us how likely it is to find subatomic particles at particular locations. It is possible for a particle to be present in multiple locations at once, and then “pick” one place randomly when it is measured.
Even the great Albert Einstein himself was unsettled by this – to the point where he was Convinced that it was incorrect. Rather than outcomes being random, he thought there must be some “hidden variables” – forces or laws that we can’t see – which predictably influence the results of our measurements.
However, there were some physicists who accepted the quantum mechanics. John Bell, a Northern Ireland-based physicist made an important breakthrough in 1964. A theoretical testIt is impossible to prove that Einstein’s hidden variables are not real.
Quantum mechanics says that particles can be “entangled” so that they can be manipulated simultaneously.
If this spookiness – particles far apart mysteriously influencing each other instantaneously – were to be explained by the particles communicating with each other through hidden variables, it would require faster-than-light communication between the two, which Einstein’s theories forbid.
Quantum EntanglementIt is difficult to comprehend because it links the properties and properties of particles, no matter how far apart. Imagine a lightbulb that emits two photons, or light particles. They travel in opposite directions from each other.
If the photons become entangled, they will share a property like their polarization no matter how far apart. Bell imagined performing experiments on both photons and then comparing their results to prove that they were connected (truly and mysteriously).
Clauser applied Bell’s theory in a time when single photon experiments were almost impossible. Clauser proved that light can be entangled, just eight years after Bell’s famous thought experiment.
While Clauser’s ResultsWhile the results were remarkable, there were many other explanations. He obtained.
If light doesn’t behave as predicted by physicists, then perhaps his results can be explained with no entanglement. These explanations are called loopholes in Bell’s test and Aspect was the first person to challenge them.
Aspect devised an innovative experiment to eliminate one of Bell’s most critical loopholes. He demonstrated that the entangled photons of the experiment weren’t communicating with each other via hidden variables.
This is what it means They really do seem spookily related.
It is crucial to validate concepts in science. Aspect has played an important role in this process. Quantum mechanics has survived many tests over the last century.
Quantum technology
It is possible to wonder why the microscopic world behaves in this way or how photons can get entangled. Here Zeilinger’s vision shines.
The industrial revolution was born out of our classical mechanics knowledge. The digital revolution has been driven by the understanding of semiconductors’ behavior.
Understanding quantum mechanics is key to building new devices. Many believe it will be the catalyst for quantum technology’s next revolution.
Quantum entanglement Computing can harness this potentialTo process information in new ways than was possible before. Sensors can detect subtle changes in entanglement with greater precision than ever before by detecting them.
Communication with entangled light can provide security as well, since measurements of quantum systems may reveal the presence or absence of an eavesdropper.
Zeilinger’s work opened the door to the quantum technological revolution. It showed how it was possible to link several entangled systems together to build the quantum equivalent network.
These applications of quantum mechanics will be real science fiction by 2022. The first is here. quantum computers. Satellite Micius uses entanglementTo enable secure communication across the globe You can also find out more about quantum sensorsThese devices are used for everything from medical imaging to submarine detection.
The 2022 Nobel Panel recognized the value of practical foundations for producing, manipulating and testing quantum entanglement, as well as the revolution it is helping drive.
It is a great honor to see these three people receive the award. Their work inspired me to start a PhD at Cambridge in 2002. My project had one goal: to create entangled light using a simple semiconductor device.
This was to greatly simplify equipment and allow for practical devices to be built for real-world applications. Our It was a successful jobIt is amazing and exciting to see the progress made in this field.
Robert YoungProfessor of Physics and Director at the Lancaster Quantum Technology Centre. Lancaster University
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