Understanding Photon Entanglement and Its Implications in Quantum Information Theory

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Sumber: visualization of the wave function of two entangled photons – Charming Science (charmingscience.com)

Recently we were shocked by the news about photon entanglement or photon entanglement carried out by physicists and researchers at the University of Glasgow, Scotland, England. Photon entanglement is one of the most interesting and mysterious quantum phenomena. This phenomenon shows that two or more photons can have related quantum states, even when they are separated by large distances. This gives rise to seemingly paradoxical effects, such that measuring physical properties such as polarization, momentum, or spin on one photon can influence the state of another photon, without any communication between the two. This phenomenon was called “spooky far action” by Albert Einstein, who doubted its validity.

However, many experiments have proven that photon entanglement is real, and violates the limits set by classical theories of causality and local realism. Photon entanglement has many potential applications in the field of quantum information, such as quantum computing, quantum cryptography, quantum teleportation, and quantum metrology.

What is Photon Entanglement?

Photon entanglement is a phenomenon that occurs when a group of photons is generated, interacts, or shares spatial proximity such that the quantum state of each photon cannot be described independently of the states of the others, including when the photons are separated by large distances. A quantum state is a mathematical description of the physical properties of a particle, such as position, momentum, polarization, and spin. Quantum states also indicate the probability of finding a particle in a particular state.

Photon entanglement shows that two bound photons can influence each other instantaneously, even when they are in different locations. This gives rise to seemingly paradoxical effects, such that measuring physical properties such as polarization, momentum, or spin on one photon can influence the state of another photon, without any communication between the two. This was called “spooky far action” by Albert Einstein, who doubted the validity of this phenomenon.

However, many experiments have proven that photon entanglement is real, and violates the limits set by classical theories of causality and local realism. Causality is the principle that every event has a cause that precedes it, and local realism is the assumption that physical objects have properties that are determined locally and independent of the observer. Photon entanglement shows that there are stronger quantum correlations than classical theory allows, challenging our understanding of the universe.

How Do Scientists Generate and Measure Photon Entanglement?

To produce entanglement photons, there are several methods that can be usedlike:

– Spontaneous light source: In this method, bound photons are generated from the spontaneous emission process of excited atoms or molecules. For example, in phosphorescence, an excited electron returns to its ground state by emitting two associated photons.

– Pumped light source: In this method, bound photons are generated from a stimulated emission process by light pumped into a medium that has an inverse population. For example, in a laser, the pumped light triggers the coherent and bound emission of photons from the excited atoms or molecules.

2023-12-05 00:00:00
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