New Measurement Technique Puts Elusive Virtual Particles in Relief
It turns out that measuring nothing is pretty hard. Continue reading New Measurement Technique Puts Elusive Virtual Particles in Relief
Category Archives: quantum physics
New Measurement Technique Puts Elusive Virtual Particles in Relief
It turns out that measuring nothing is pretty hard. Continue reading New Measurement Technique Puts Elusive Virtual Particles in Relief
The God Particle
The Greek philosopher Plato is well known for his allegories and metaphors. Of particular interest is his Allegory of the Cave, which appeared in The Republic, written around 380AD. In it, Plato describes a group of prisoners which are chained to a wall within a cave, and have been all of their lives. They have no direct interaction with the world outside of the cave. They only know of the world via shadows that are cast on the wall opposite of them. For the prisoners, the shadows are their reality. Though you and I know the shadows are only …read more
Laser Squeezing Pushes Tiny Metal Plate to New Temperature Low
NIST physicists beat a fundamental quantum limit. Continue reading Laser Squeezing Pushes Tiny Metal Plate to New Temperature Low
How Breaking One of the Most Basic Physical Laws Might Explain Dark Energy
Fudging the law of conservation of energy offers a new perspective on dark energy. Continue reading How Breaking One of the Most Basic Physical Laws Might Explain Dark Energy
Physicists Measure Atomic Event Within a Trillionth of a Billionth of a Second
New method captures photoemission of electrons from helium atoms with a degree of precision impossible with cameras. Continue reading Physicists Measure Atomic Event Within a Trillionth of a Billionth of a Second
Will the Real Schrodinger’s Cat Please Stand Up
The story of Schrodinger’s cat is well known, and one of quantum theory’s most popular phrases on the world stage. You can find his cat on t-shirts, bumper stickers, internet memes and the like. However, few know the origins of the cat, and how it came into being. I suspect many do not understand it beyond the “dead and alive at the same time” catchphrase as well. Not surprisingly, it was Einstein who was at the center of the idea behind Schrodinger’s cat. In a vibrant discussion between the two via letters across the Atlantic, Schrodinger echoed Einstein’s …read more
Continue reading Will the Real Schrodinger’s Cat Please Stand Up
For the First Time, Researchers Bridge Quantum Computers on a Single Chip
Maybe building a full-scale quantum computer is just a matter of linking a bunch of small ones. Continue reading For the First Time, Researchers Bridge Quantum Computers on a Single Chip
The Quantum Eraser
Richard Feynmann noted more than once that complementarity is the central mystery that lies at the heart of quantum theory. Complementarity rules the world of the very small… the quantum world, and surmises that particles and waves are indistinguishable from one other. That they are one and the same. That it is nonsensical to think of something, or even try to visualize that something as an individual “particle” or a “wave.” That the particle/wave/whatever-you-want-to-call-it is in this sort of superposition, where it is neither particle nor wave. It is only the act of trying to measure what it is …read more
Newly Discovered State of Matter Could Be a Breakthrough for Quantum Computing
Quantum spin liquids seem to defy the laws of nature. Continue reading Newly Discovered State of Matter Could Be a Breakthrough for Quantum Computing