Is the wave function a relative wave (entanglement)

In summary: Thanks for the confirmation on loss of entanglement after the first measurement, I must say that when seen on TV this seems to be a fact that I have never heard. I've often wondered what was so special about the claims of entanglement and its not until you realize that the property is broken when measured that it becomes "odd".
  • #1
QuantumHop
68
0
Is the wave function a "relative" wave (entanglement)

Alice and Bob build a quantum entanglement experiment with the help of a lab technician.

The experiment runs and a quantum entangled pair is created but unbeknown to Alice & Bob the technician puts his own measuring device in the experiment and takes a measurement before Alice & Bob get a chance to do their measurement.

When Alice & Bob make their measurements they are confronted with the same uncertainties , Alice makes a measurement and assumes the wave collapses but the assistant had already collapsed the wave.

With that said is the collapse of the wave relative to the observer?
 
Physics news on Phys.org
  • #2


QuantumHop said:
Alice and Bob build a quantum entanglement experiment with the help of a lab technician.

The experiment runs and a quantum entangled pair is created but unbeknown to Alice & Bob the technician puts his own measuring device in the experiment and takes a measurement before Alice & Bob get a chance to do their measurement.

When Alice & Bob make their measurements they are confronted with the same uncertainties , Alice makes a measurement and assumes the wave collapses but the assistant had already collapsed the wave.

With that said is the collapse of the wave relative to the observer?

Alice and Bob, in this case, won't get the correlated (same/opposite) measurement.

If Alice shows 1/up, Bob won't necessarily show 0/down because time has passed since the lab technician made his measurement. The two photons' states start to evolve separately after the technician's measurement.
 
  • #3


San K said:
Alice and Bob, in this case, won't get the correlated (same/opposite) measurement.

If Alice shows 1/up, Bob won't necessarily show 0/down because time has passed since the lab technician made his measurement. The two photons' states start to evolve separately after the technician's measurement.

Thanks for the explanation, I had no idea that the entangled properties were disentangled after a measurement is taken. I see now why it can be used to determine if private message has been read by somebody else :smile:
 
  • #4


This now raises another question, if both particles are measured at exactly the same time and then say a thousandth of a second later the same measurements are repeated will they still be entangled?
 
  • #5


QuantumHop said:
This now raises another question, if both particles are measured at exactly the same time and then say a thousandth of a second later the same measurements are repeated will they still be entangled?
No. You should focus on the uncertainty principle(a cornerstone of qm) and why it was immediately clear to the founders of qm why entanglement of position/momentum would ensue between interacting particles(later confirmed in experiments). Entanglement is basically a confirmation of the Uncertainty principle over all of spacetime and across all frames of reference(i.e. in that sense, it's not relative to the observer and appears to happen instantaneously as far as current experiments can reveal).
 
Last edited:
  • #6


Maui said:
No. You should focus on the uncertainty principle(a cornerstone of qm) and why it was immediately clear to the founders of qm why entanglement of position/momentum would ensue between interacting particles(later confirmed in experiments). Entanglement is basically a confirmation of the Uncertainty principle over all of spacetime and across all frames of reference(i.e. in that sense, it's not relative to the observer and appears to happen instantaneously as far as current experiments can reveal).

Thanks for the confirmation on loss of entanglement after the first measurement, I must say that when seen on TV this seems to be a fact that I have never heard. I've often wondered what was so special about the claims of entanglement and its not until you realize that the property is broken when measured that it becomes "odd".

If you could entangle three particles at once you could communicate instantly over any distance by sending two streams to a receiver and keeping one stream of particles for yourself. if after say one year the two streams reached the recipients you could measure particles in your stream and the discrepancies at their end would contain the message. With that said its probably impossible otherwise it violates speed c.
 

1. Is the wave function a relative wave?

The wave function is not a physical wave that moves through space like a water wave. It is a mathematical representation of the probability of finding a particle in a certain state. However, it is relative in the sense that it describes the state of the particle in relation to other particles in the system.

2. What is entanglement?

Entanglement is a phenomenon in quantum mechanics where two or more particles become connected in such a way that the state of one particle cannot be described without also describing the state of the other particles. This means that the particles are correlated in a way that is not possible in classical physics.

3. How does entanglement relate to the wave function?

Entanglement is closely related to the wave function because it is a property of the quantum state described by the wave function. When two or more particles are entangled, their wave functions are linked and cannot be described independently of each other.

4. Can entanglement be observed in the real world?

Yes, entanglement has been observed in many experiments and is a well-established phenomenon in quantum mechanics. It has been demonstrated in various systems, including photons, atoms, and molecules.

5. How is entanglement used in quantum technologies?

Entanglement is a key resource in many quantum technologies, including quantum computing and quantum cryptography. It allows for the creation of highly secure communication systems and enables the processing of information in ways that are not possible with classical computers.

Similar threads

  • Quantum Physics
Replies
12
Views
1K
  • Quantum Physics
Replies
4
Views
890
  • Quantum Physics
3
Replies
71
Views
4K
  • Quantum Physics
Replies
4
Views
592
  • Quantum Physics
Replies
16
Views
2K
Replies
8
Views
719
Replies
1
Views
616
Replies
1
Views
778
Replies
59
Views
3K
Back
Top