The erase of quantum states by measurement

In summary, the article discusses a successful 'teleportation' of a Ytterbium ion (Yb+) and mentions that the quantum state of the original ion had to be destroyed in order for the teleportation to work. This was achieved by measuring the quantum state of the ion. The reason for this is because measuring an entangled particle forces it to assume a specific state, which is still a subject of debate in the quantum mechanics community. For more discussion on this topic, the provided link offers further insights.
  • #1
Allojubrious
61
0
I was reading this article, http://www.nature.com/news/2009/090122/full/news.2009.50.html, and it was talking about how they 'teleported' a Ytterbium ion (Yb+) and mid-way through the article it said that they had to destroy the quantum state of the original Ytterbium ion and they did that by simply measuring its quantum state. Now my question is why? Why was the quantum state erased by simply measuring it??
 
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  • #2
The answer is in the preceding paragraph:

A quantum bit, on the other hand, lives in a fuzzy state of one and zero simultaneously. Worse still, measuring that bit directly will destroy its fuzziness, so quantum teleportation requires researchers to move the data without reading them first.

When you MEASURE [interact with] an entangled particle, you force it to assume some state. WHY this happens and exactly what it means are the subject of much debate; one thing for sure, it is not classically 'logical'...so it does not make 'sense'...

Read the first several posts here for a good discussion:

 
  • #3
Oh alright thanks, the fact that it doesn't make 'sense' I can understand because I have seen a lot of things in quantum mechanics that are...shall we say... 'spooky'
However, I thank you for that link its very helpful!

Thanks,
Al
 

1. What is the "erase of quantum states by measurement"?

The erase of quantum states by measurement refers to the phenomenon in quantum mechanics where the act of measuring a particle's state causes its wave function to collapse into a definite state. This collapse or "erasing" of the particle's possible states is known as wave function collapse.

2. Why is the erase of quantum states by measurement significant?

This phenomenon is significant because it highlights the fundamental difference between classical and quantum systems. In classical systems, measuring a physical quantity does not affect its future values. But in quantum mechanics, the act of measurement alters the state of the system, making it impossible to simultaneously measure certain pairs of physical quantities with absolute accuracy.

3. Can the erased quantum states be recovered?

No, the erased quantum states cannot be recovered. Once a quantum state is measured and the wave function collapses, the information about the other possible states is lost. This is known as the quantum measurement problem and remains a subject of ongoing debate in the field of quantum mechanics.

4. How does the erase of quantum states by measurement impact quantum computing?

The erase of quantum states by measurement is a crucial aspect of quantum computing algorithms. In quantum computers, the measurement process is utilized to extract information from the system, and the collapse of the wave function is used to obtain the desired output. Therefore, understanding and controlling the erase of quantum states is essential for the development of efficient quantum algorithms.

5. Is the erase of quantum states by measurement a random process?

Yes, the erase of quantum states by measurement is considered a random process. According to the Copenhagen interpretation of quantum mechanics, the act of measurement is inherently probabilistic, and the outcome of a measurement cannot be predicted with certainty. However, there are alternative interpretations of quantum mechanics that suggest the randomness is only apparent and that there may be underlying factors at play.

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