Science has made a Quantum Leap?!

As we know, Wasabi Roll readers are pretty sharp individuals, so we do not have any hesitation in sharing scientific breakthroughs, even if they are in Quantum Physics.  Yes, you would almost say they made a "Quantum Leap", sorry couldn't resist.  But before we start announcing strides in Quantum Entanglement, let’s reel it back a second and remind some, or enlighten others on the subject. 

Quantum Entanglement is a phenomenon where two particles (photons, for example) are linked together like twins.  Without getting too Mr. Science, they are subject to a principle in quantum mechanics known as “Superposition” where quantum particles exist in every theoretical possible state at the same time.  A photon, for example, spins horizontally and vertically (different polarizations) at the same time.  Only when we try to measure it, does the particle fixes on a single state.  Hence, with entanglement, when you measure one half of an entangled pair, the other half fixes its state as well but in a fashion that is the polar opposite of its compatriot.

As explained by Michio Kaku, a Harvard Physicist,

“If two electrons are initially vibrating in unison (a state called coherence) they can remain in wavelike synchronization even if they are separated by a large distance. 

…There is still an invisible Schrodinger wave connecting both of them, like an umbilical cord. If something happens to one electron, then some of that information is immediately transmitted to the other. This is called “quantum entanglement,” the concept that particles vibrating in coherence have some kind of deep connection linking them together. 

“Let’s start with two coherent electrons oscillating in unison. Each electron is like a spinning top. …if the spin of one electron is up, then you know automatically that the spin of the other electron is down. According to the quantum theory, before you make a measurement, the electron is spinning neither up nor down but exists in a nether state where it is spinning both up and down simultaneously. (Once you make an observation, the wave function “collapses,” leaving a particle in a definite state.) 

“Next, measure the spin of one electron. It is, say, spinning up. Then you know instantly that the spin of the other electron is down. Even if the electrons are separated by many light-years, you instantly know the spin of the second electron as soon as you measure the spin of the first electron. In fact, you know this faster than the speed of light! Because these two electrons are “entangled,” that is, their wave functions beat in unison; their wave functions are connected by an invisible “thread” or umbilical cord. Whatever happens to one automatically has an effect on the other. (This means, in some sense, that what happens to us automatically affects things instantaneously in distant corners of the universe, since our wave functions were probably entangled at the beginning of time. In some sense, there is a web of entanglement that connects distant corners of the universe, including us.)”

Now the news.  Quantum physicists in Israel have successfully entangled two photons that don’t exist at the same time. They create one photon and measure its polarization, destroying it — they then create another photon, and though it never coexisted with the first, it always has the exact opposite polarization, proving they’re entangled. 

How they did they do this?  They started by producing two photons (1 & 2) and entangling them. The first photon (1) is immediately measured, destroying it and fixing the state of the second photon (2). Now a second pair of entangled photons (3 & 4) is created. They then use a technique called “projection measurement” to entangle 2 and 3 — which, by association, entangles 1 and 4. Even though photons 1 and 4 never coexisted, they know the state of 4 is the exact opposite of 1.

As we’ve covered before, entanglement seems to occur instantly, even if the particles are on opposite ends of the universe. This experiment shows how entanglement exists through time, as well as space — or, in scientific terms, the non-locality of quantum mechanics in space-time.

What does this mean?  Well at least in the photon level we could conceivably manipulate pairs separated by great distances to communicate faster than the speed of light.  Even the changing state of a photon can be rudimentarily used as a Morse code conveyer.  However, with some real forethought this could be done on a wide synchronous scale and provide tons of information instantly through space and time.  

We were thinking that rather than the mystical space/time continuim leap, that it's more like the raid drive solution, even though one dies, the others have the information necessary to represent, so the 4th photon knows how to dance... 

Any thoughts? 

Source(s):

• http://www.extremetech.com/extreme/156673-the-first-quantum-entanglement-of-photons-through-space-and-time
• http://www.sciencedaily.com/articles/q/quantum_entanglement.htm
• http://www.learning2grow.org/2010/11/29/quantum-connections-physics-of-the-impossible-by-michio-kaku/

So “Once more unto the breach, dear friends, once more;”

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About Rick Ricker

An IT professional with over 21 years experience in Information Security, wireless broadband, network and Infrastructure design, development, and support.

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