Entanglement, Entropy and Energy

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SUMMARY

The discussion centers on the relationship between entanglement, entropy, and energy in quantum physics. It highlights that entangled electrons create a distinct universe compared to non-entangled electrons, suggesting that entanglement is a tangible phenomenon that can be experimentally detected. The conversation posits that since breaking entanglement is easier than creating or maintaining it, the entropy of the non-entangled state is higher. Furthermore, it raises questions about whether entanglement possesses entropy, information, or mass/energy, and seeks more accessible reading materials on the topic.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of quantum mechanics principles
  • Familiarity with entanglement and its implications
  • Basic knowledge of entropy in thermodynamics
  • Experience with tensor calculus and its applications in physics
NEXT STEPS
  • Research "Quantum Entanglement and Information Theory"
  • Study "Entropy in Quantum Mechanics" for deeper insights
  • Explore "The Holographic Principle" and its relation to entanglement
  • Read "Quantum Mechanics: The Theoretical Minimum" by Leonard Susskind for a more accessible introduction
USEFUL FOR

This discussion is beneficial for physics students, quantum mechanics enthusiasts, and researchers interested in the foundational concepts of entanglement, entropy, and their implications in modern physics.

kirk1729
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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"?
 
Physics news on Phys.org
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.
 

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