When and how does entanglement end?

In summary, entanglement can end in two ways: through decoherence and through measurement. Decoherence occurs when the entangled particles interact with their environment, causing them to lose their quantum properties and breaking the entanglement. Measurement, on the other hand, collapses the entanglement between the particles. It is not possible for entanglement to end without any external interference, as the particles need to interact with their environment or be measured. There is ongoing debate among scientists about whether entanglement ever truly ends, as some theories suggest there may still be residual correlation between the particles even after the entanglement is broken.
  • #1
mcdnlt
3
0
Suppose two particles become entangled. Are they ever dis-entangled? If so, how? If not, wow.

Thanks!
 
Physics news on Phys.org
  • #2
mcdnlt said:
Suppose two particles become entangled. Are they ever dis-entangled? If so, how? If not, wow.

Thanks!

When one of the pair (say Alice) is observed, it is no longer entangled on that basis (say spin or momentum). Bob will thereafter be observed to be consistent with Alice's result.
 

1. When does entanglement end?

Entanglement can end in two ways. One way is through decoherence, which is the process of the entangled particles interacting with their environment and losing their quantum properties. The other way is through measurement, where one of the entangled particles is measured and this collapses the entanglement between them.

2. How does entanglement end through decoherence?

Decoherence occurs when the entangled particles interact with their environment, such as other particles or fields. This interaction causes the entangled particles to lose their quantum properties and become more like classical particles. As a result, the entanglement between the particles is lost.

3. How does entanglement end through measurement?

When one of the entangled particles is measured, it collapses the entanglement between them. This is because the act of measurement causes the quantum state of the particle to become definite, and the other particle is affected by this change. As a result, the entanglement is broken.

4. Can entanglement end without any external interference?

No, entanglement cannot end without any external interference. The entangled particles need to interact with their environment or be measured in order for the entanglement to end.

5. Does entanglement ever truly end?

It is a matter of debate among scientists whether entanglement ever truly ends. Some theories suggest that even if the entanglement is lost or broken, there may still be some residual correlation or connection between the particles. However, this has not been definitively proven and is still an area of ongoing research.

Similar threads

  • Quantum Physics
Replies
27
Views
638
  • Quantum Physics
Replies
4
Views
582
  • Quantum Physics
Replies
2
Views
704
  • Quantum Physics
Replies
3
Views
708
  • Quantum Physics
Replies
7
Views
2K
Replies
6
Views
976
Replies
4
Views
560
  • Quantum Physics
Replies
4
Views
866
  • Quantum Physics
Replies
6
Views
796
Replies
6
Views
574
Back
Top