Entanglement, Entropy and Energy

In summary, entanglement is a real and detectable phenomenon in quantum physics that decreases entropy and is associated with information and possibly mass/energy. The concept of entanglement can be difficult to understand, but there are reading suggestions available that are easier to comprehend than The Road to Reality.
  • #1
kirk1729
1
0
I suppose the meta-question is: Where do I read about this? Engineering major, not physics. Worked through Penrose's book until the tensor calculus on manifolds chapter and then sank without a trace. The popularized descriptions of quantum physics are hopelessly incomplete and as Feynman pointed out, usually misleading.

All electrons are identical. Imagine universe S with two electrons. Imagine universe E with two entangled electrons. The universes are different as we can do a physics experiment to tell the difference by detecting the entangled correlation. In S we have two things, the electrons. In E we have an electron just like all electrons, another identical electron, and a third thing, the entanglement. The entanglement must be a thing that exists since the universes are different and it can't be part of either or both of the electrons since all electrons are identical.

Since it is a lot easier to break an entanglement than it is to create or maintain it, it seems that S must have higher entropy than E. The entanglement is real, it exists, it can be detected by a physics experiment. Since it exists it seems that it must have associated information and probably associated mass/energy unless it is some kind of weird mechanical attachment like a common half string end point on the holographic surface.

Does entanglement have entropy? information? mass/energy? Is there a reading suggestion for this that is a bit easier than The Road to Reality? Or is this line of reasoning "not even wrong"?
 
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  • #2
Entanglement is a constraint on the possible combinations of quantum numbers in the system. This is a decrease in the total number of possible combinations of quantum numbers, so it decreases the entropy.
 

Related to Entanglement, Entropy and Energy

1. What is entanglement and how does it occur?

Entanglement is a phenomenon in quantum mechanics where two or more particles become correlated in such a way that the state of one particle cannot be described without also describing the state of the other particle(s). This occurs when the particles have interacted in the past and their quantum state becomes entangled.

2. What is the relationship between entanglement and entropy?

Entanglement and entropy are closely related in the sense that entanglement can lead to an increase in entropy. This is because when particles become entangled, the number of possible states for the system increases, leading to a higher degree of disorder or randomness, which is measured by entropy.

3. How does entanglement affect energy?

Entanglement can affect energy in various ways. For example, in quantum systems, entangled particles may have correlated energies, meaning that a change in energy for one particle will result in a corresponding change in energy for the other particle(s). Additionally, entanglement can also be used to extract energy from quantum systems through processes such as quantum teleportation.

4. Can entanglement be observed in macroscopic systems?

While entanglement is a phenomenon that has been observed and studied extensively in microscopic systems, it is not typically observed in macroscopic systems. This is because the effects of entanglement are often overshadowed by classical interactions and decoherence in larger systems.

5. Is entanglement a useful concept in practical applications?

Entanglement has shown potential for use in various practical applications, such as quantum computing and quantum communication. However, further research and technological advancements are needed before these applications can be fully realized. Entanglement also has implications for fundamental concepts in physics, such as the nature of spacetime and the arrow of time.

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