Indirectly measure if particle spin is in superstate or not?

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SUMMARY

This discussion centers on the feasibility of measuring a particle's spin to determine if it is in a superposition state, akin to the double-slit experiment's demonstration of an electron's position. It concludes that such measurements do not facilitate faster-than-light (FTL) communication due to the inherent randomness of quantum measurements and the limitations imposed by the No-Communication Theorem. The conversation clarifies that entangled particles cannot be used for communication, as the measurement of one particle does not provide information about the state of its entangled partner.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of quantum mechanics principles, particularly superposition and entanglement.
  • Familiarity with the No-Communication Theorem in quantum physics.
  • Knowledge of measurement theory in quantum mechanics.
  • Basic concepts of particle spin and its implications in quantum states.
NEXT STEPS
  • Research the No-Communication Theorem and its implications for quantum entanglement.
  • Study the principles of superposition and how they apply to quantum particles.
  • Explore measurement theory in quantum mechanics, focusing on the randomness of quantum state outcomes.
  • Investigate the double-slit experiment and its relevance to quantum state observations.
USEFUL FOR

Physicists, quantum mechanics students, and anyone interested in the implications of quantum entanglement and superposition in communication technologies.

hydrowolfy
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Hey I'm curious if it would be possible to measure if a particle's spin is in a superstate similar to how the double slit experiment can show whether or not an electron's location is in a superstate. Wouldn't such a machine allow for FTL communications, since if we measure one of two entangled particles spin state, we force the other particle's superstate to collapse.
 
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hydrowolfy said:
Wouldn't such a machine allow for FTL communications, since if we measure one of two entangled particles spin state, we force the other particle's superstate to collapse.

No, as the spin state has a random result when measurement is made.
 
Just out of curiosity: What is a "superstate"?
 
haha, sorry, I meant superposition (I though super position only referred to a particle's location state). Also, if anyone's wondering, communication is impossible between two entangled particles [A,B] because the entanglement is the only thing the two particle's have in common, since we can't know the state of the particle A before we measure it, we have no way of checking if someone else measured particle B, making it impossible to determine not only what the state was, but even if a state change happened!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No-communication_theorem goes into it a bit more, showing that according to the Rules of Quantum Mechanics, none of the properties of particle A that we can glean without measuring are changed in anyway when we measure the state of particle B.
 

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