It’s getting better and better. What if B is also fixed in a quantum object with two superposed positions?Then, depending on the possible positions of B, the quantum state of A is filled in two different ways. Determining the quantum state of B determines the state of A, so A and B are entangled.
In the example above, we saw that two typical properties of quantum systems, superposition and entanglement, depend on the frame of reference. Anne-Catherine de la Hamette, co-author of the recent paper, said: “The main message is that many of the characteristics we think of as very important and in some sense absolute are related to “It’s a relative thing,” he said.
Even the order of events is subject to the rigor of the quantum frame of reference. For example, from one reference frame, you can observe detector clicks occurring at specific times. However, from a different frame of reference, the click can overlap with other events that occur before or after. Whether you observe a click as occurring at a specific time or as a superposition of events in different orders depends on your choice of frame of reference.
stepping stone to gravity
Researchers hope to use this changing quantum perspective to understand the mysterious nature of gravity. Einstein’s theory of general relativity, the classical theory of gravity, states that gravity is a distortion of the fabric of space-time by massive objects. But how is space-time distorted when the object itself is in a superposition of two positions? “With normal quantum physics and gravity, this is very difficult to answer,” Bruckner said. said Victoria Carvel, a researcher with the group and co-author of the new paper.
However, if you switch to a reference frame whose origin is in superposition, large objects may end up in specific positions. It is now possible to calculate the gravitational field. “By finding a convenient quantum reference frame, we can take a problem that we cannot solve and turn it into a problem that can be solved simply by using standard, known physics,” Carvel said.
Such a change in perspective should help analyze future experiments aimed at superimposing very small masses. For example, physicists Chiara Marlet and Vlatko Vedral from the University of Oxford proposed placing two masses in a superposition of two positions each and studying how this affects the gravitational field. did. The proliferation of attempts to formally describe quantum frames of reference may help us understand these studies of the interaction between gravity and quantum theory, an important stepping stone to a theory of quantum gravity.
(Tag Translation) Quantum Magazine
