Momentum Entanglement: The Technicalities and Usage in Electron Experiments

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the concept of momentum entanglement as presented in the EPR paper, specifically its technicalities and implications for experiments involving electrons. Participants explore why momentum entanglement is not commonly discussed or utilized in experimental contexts compared to other forms of entanglement, such as spin or polarization.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • One participant questions the lack of discussion on momentum entanglement in literature and its instantaneous nature, particularly in the context of two electrons.
  • Another participant references a paper (arXiv:1501.01927) that may address the initial inquiry but expresses uncertainty about its content and their ability to answer related questions.
  • A participant reiterates the reference to the same paper and seeks independent comments before engaging further with its content.
  • It is noted that practical challenges hinder the design of reliable experiments around entangled momenta, suggesting that the EPR paper's discussion may have been more theoretical.
  • A historical perspective is provided, mentioning David Bohm's contribution in applying the EPR argument to entangled particle spins and photon polarizations, which are more commonly studied due to ease of experimentation.
  • Participants discuss that the underlying mathematics of entanglement remains consistent across different examples, emphasizing the non-factorizability of the wave function.
  • There is a suggestion that experiments are more frequently conducted with photon polarization because they are less expensive and easier to implement.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express a general agreement on the theoretical aspects of momentum entanglement but highlight a lack of consensus on its practical applications and the reasons for its limited experimental use.

Contextual Notes

Participants acknowledge the practical difficulties in conducting experiments on entangled momenta, which may limit the exploration of this concept compared to other forms of entanglement.

ftr
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In the original EPR paper momentum was giving as an example of entanglement, but I don't see that discussed by any thread or papers for that matter, why is that. What is the technicalities of this entanglement for two electrons for example, is it also instantaneous and why is it not used to study entanglement in experiments. And how does that square with the momentum associated with the charge. Thanks.
 
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arXiv:1501.01927
This paper seems to be exactly what you are asking about... although I haven't read it yet and I'm not sure if I can answer any questions you may have about it.
 
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jerromyjon said:
arXiv:1501.01927
This paper seems to be exactly what you are asking about... although I haven't read it yet and I'm not sure if I can answer any questions you may have about it.

Thanks. That is the first paper that I got when I googled, but i wanted some independent comments before I ask about this paper. so thanks again
 
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ftr said:
n the original EPR paper momentum was giving as an example of entanglement, but I don't see that discussed by any thread or papers for that matter, why is that?
For various practical reasons it's difficult to design reliable experiments around entangled momenta, so the EPR paper had something of the feel of a thought experiment. After it was published, David Bohm pointed out that the EPR argument could just as well be applied to entangled particle spins, and it was clear that similar considerations also applied to entangled photon polarizations.

The basic mathematics are the same for all of these examples of entanglement; it comes down the wave function having the property we call "non-factorizability". It is easier and much less expensive to do experiments with photon polarization, so as long as it's the same math that we're checking either way, that's how we'll do most experiments and that's what gets the most press.
 
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