Quantum Entanglement Harvesting

In summary: This interaction can be in the presence or absence of an electromagnetic field.This is something that has been known about for a while, and has been used in a number of quantum information protocols. It's most useful for probing the structure of spacetime.
  • #1
sanman
745
24
An article by the University of Waterloo talks about Quantum Entanglement Harvesting and possible novel applications, such as using it to probe the structure of spacetime:

https://uwaterloo.ca/institute-for-quantum-computing/news/entanglement-harvesting-vacuum

So I understand that Spacetime and the Quantum Vacuum are 2 ways of referring to the same thing, and that the Quantum Vacuum is composed of entangled virtual particle-antiparticle pairs.

But this is the first time I'm hearing this phrase "entanglement harvesting", and I just want to better understand what it means and what its most useful
applications may be.

Quantum theory states that the quantum vacuum isn’t really empty. Quantum fluctuations of the electro-magnetic field vacuum are entangled. These fluctuations can interact locally with two space-like separated atoms and entangle them even if the two atoms never communicated with one another, or even if they never exchanged any information at all. This phenomenon is known as entanglement harvesting.

How does this entanglement harvesting work? Are they talking about in the presence of an applied electromagnetic field? Is this something that's long been known about, or is it something new?
 
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  • #2
sanman said:
and that the Quantum Vacuum is composed of entangled virtual particle-antiparticle pairs.

The quantum vacuum is the ground state of the quantum fields. This virtual particle stuff is simply a name for terms in a perturbative expansion and aren't in any way real It would have been better calling them Jaberwocky because it would lead to less confusion. However things like electrons are entangled with the EM vacuum field and this leads to actual effects like spontaneous emission. Of course even that is an approximation because electrons are excitations of the electron field and the correct analysis requires QED.

The quote you gave is rather dubious, but even professional papers can take liberties with exactitude. We have a number of professors that post here. I am not one, but they often say many papers would not have passed if they were referee. My suspicion this is one - its language is certainly very suspect.

Thanks
Bill
 
  • #3
Here is the actual paper. The references in there shows that this phenomena is not new, and according to one of their references the term "entanglement harvesting" has been used in print since 2012.

Spacetime and quantum vacuum are not the same thing. The latter, as bhobba said, is the ground state of quantum fields. From what I understand, it is a normal mode of coupled harmonic oscillators, so it is unentangled in this global mode picture but it can be entangled in the tensor product basis of number states of each oscillator. There is no need to bring in virtual particles or antiparticles.

Accepting this, entanglement harvesting then is just a standard quantum information protocol that swaps entanglement in the vacuum state to the entanglement between two objects that can interact with the vacuum.
 

What is quantum entanglement harvesting?

Quantum entanglement harvesting is a process in which entangled particles, such as photons or atoms, are harvested and used for various applications in quantum information processing. This involves separating the entangled particles and utilizing their correlated properties for tasks such as quantum communication, cryptography, and computing.

How does quantum entanglement harvesting work?

Quantum entanglement harvesting involves creating a pair of entangled particles, typically in a laboratory setting, and then separating them. This separation can be done in various ways, such as by sending the particles to different locations or by using optical or magnetic fields. Once separated, the particles can be used for different applications, depending on the specific properties of the entangled pair.

What are the potential applications of quantum entanglement harvesting?

Quantum entanglement harvesting has many potential applications, including quantum communication, quantum teleportation, quantum cryptography, and quantum computing. It allows for the transfer of information between entangled particles, even over long distances, and enables secure communication and data storage. It also has the potential to greatly improve computational power and speed.

Are there any challenges or limitations to quantum entanglement harvesting?

While quantum entanglement harvesting has many promising applications, there are also challenges and limitations that need to be addressed. These include the difficulty in creating and maintaining entangled particles, as well as the sensitivity of entangled states to external interference. Additionally, the process of harvesting entangled particles can be complex and may require advanced technology.

How does quantum entanglement harvesting relate to quantum mechanics?

Quantum entanglement harvesting is closely connected to the principles of quantum mechanics, specifically the concept of entanglement. Entanglement is a phenomenon in which two or more particles become correlated and behave as a single system, even when separated by large distances. This concept is a fundamental aspect of quantum mechanics and is essential for understanding and utilizing quantum entanglement harvesting.

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