The erase of quantum states by measurement

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SUMMARY

The discussion centers on the phenomenon of quantum state erasure through measurement, specifically in the context of quantum teleportation involving Ytterbium ions (Yb+). It is established that measuring a quantum bit collapses its superposition, thereby destroying its quantum state. This process is essential for quantum teleportation, as it requires the transfer of quantum information without direct measurement. The implications of this measurement-induced state collapse challenge classical logic and are a topic of ongoing debate in quantum mechanics.

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  • Understanding of quantum mechanics principles
  • Familiarity with quantum bits (qubits) and superposition
  • Knowledge of quantum entanglement
  • Basic grasp of quantum teleportation concepts
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  • Research the principles of quantum entanglement and its implications
  • Explore the concept of quantum superposition in detail
  • Study the mechanics of quantum teleportation and its applications
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Physicists, quantum mechanics students, researchers in quantum computing, and anyone interested in the foundational concepts of quantum theory.

Allojubrious
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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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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:

https://www.physicsforums.com/showthread.php?p=4035881&posted=1#post4035881
 
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
 

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