The quantum world defies common sense at every turn. Shaped across hundreds of thousands of years by biological evolution, our modern human brain struggles to comprehend things outside our familiar naturalistic context. Understanding a predator chasing prey across a grassy plain is easy; understanding most anything occurring at subatomic scales may require years of intense scholarship and oodles of gnarly math. Its no surprise, then, that every year physicists deliver mind-boggling new ideas and discoveries harvested from realitys deep underpinnings, well beyond the frontiers of our perception. Here, Scientific American highlights some of our favorites from 2022.
This years Nobel Prize in Physics went to researchers who spent decades proving the universe is not locally reala feat that, to quote humorist Douglas Adams, has made a lot of people very angry and been widely regarded as a bad move. Local here means any objectan apple, for instancecan be influenced only by its immediate surroundings, not by happenings on the other side of the universe. Real means every object has definite properties regardless of how it is observedno amount of squinting will change an apple from red to green. Except careful, repeated experimentation with entangled particles has conclusively shown such seemingly sensible restrictions do not always apply to the quantum realm, the most fundamental level of reality we can measure. If youre uncertain as to what exactly the demise of local realism means for life, the universe and, well, everything, dont worry: youre not alonephysicists are befuddled, too.
Despite seeming like plot elements of a cult-classic science-fiction film, two unrelated papers published earlier this year describe not-at-all-fictitious ways of harnessing light at the quantum frontier. In one study, researchers reported the first-ever construction of laser-based time crystals, quantum systems that exhibit crystallike periodic structures not in space but in time. In the other, a team detailed how precise patterns of laser pulses coaxed strings of ions into behaving like a never-before-seen phase of matter occupying two time dimensions. The former study could lead to cheap, rugged microchips for making time crystals outside of laboratories. The latter suggests a method for enhancing the performance of quantum computers. For most of us, though, these studies may be most useful for sounding smart at cocktail parties.
The Mermin-Peres magic square (MPMS) game is the sort of competition one can win only by not playing. This dismal relative of Sudoku involves two participants taking turns adding the value of either +1 or 1 to cells in a three-by-three grid to collaboratively fulfill a win condition. Although the players must coordinate their actions to succeed, they are not allowed to communicate. And even if each correctly guesses the others move, the pair can still only win eight out of the games nine roundsunless, that is, they play a quantum version. If qubits (which can swap values between +1 and 1) are used to fill each cell, two players can, in theory, pull off a perfect run by avoiding conflicting moves for all nine rounds. In practice, however, the odds of guessing each move correctly are vanishingly slim. Yet by carefully leveraging entanglement between the qubits, during each turn, the players can surmise each others actions without actually communicatinga vexing technique known as quantum pseudotelepathy. In July researchers published a paper reporting their successful real-world demonstration of this strategy to achieve flawless performance. This isnt all fun and games, either: such work probes the fundamental limits of how information can be shared between entangled particles.
According to the tenets of quantum field theoryan uneasy union between Einsteins special theory of relativity and quantum mechanics used to model the behavior of subatomic particlesempty space isnt actually empty. Instead what we perceive as the void is filled with overlapping energetic fields. Fluctuations in these fields can produce photons, electrons and other particles essentially out of nothing. Among the various bizarre phenomena predicted to arise from such curious circumstances, the strangest might be the Unruh effect, a warm shroud of ghostly particles summoned by any object accelerating through a vacuum. Named for theorist Bill Unruh, who described it in 1976, this effect is so subtle that it has yet to be observed. That soon could change if a tabletop experiment proposed in April is successfully performed. The experiment involves accelerating a single electron through an intense and carefully configured electromagnetic field. This setup should lower the threshold of acceleration for the Unruh effect to visibly manifest, boosting the chances for catching a glimpse of its elusive quantum glow, the proposers say.
Not all counterintuitive quirks of quantum physics are linked to natural causes. Some are arguably more self-inflicted, arising from researchers questionable choices in how they name and describe certain phenomena. Consider the case of quantum spin, the label affixed to the angular momentum that is intrinsic to elementary particles. The term is confusing because such particles cannot physically spinif they were simply ever twirling subatomic gyroscopes, their rotation would be impossibly fast, well in excess of the speed of light. But quantum spin is crucial to accounting for the observed behavior of electrons and other particles: although they may not actually be physically spinning, the particles are clearly doing something. Exactly what that something is can be captured with utmost accuracy by mathematical equations, but its causal physical basis remains murky. One relatively new (and highly controversial) hypothesis appeals to quantum field theory for an explanation. In this proposal, particles (which arise from fluctuations in quantum fields) gain their spin (angular momentum) from their originating fields, somewhat like a turbine being spun by the wind. If this is where the angular momentum resides, Scientific Americans article on the idea noted, the problem of an electron spinning faster than the speed of light vanishes; the region of the field carrying an electrons spin is far larger than the purportedly pointlike electron itself.
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6 Times Quantum Physics Blew Our Minds in 2022
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- Scientists 'BREED' Schrodinger's Cat in massive quantum physics breakthrough - Express.co.uk [Last Updated On: May 3rd, 2017] [Originally Added On: May 3rd, 2017]
- Quantum Physics: Are Entangled Particles Connected Via An Undetected Dimension? - Forbes [Last Updated On: May 3rd, 2017] [Originally Added On: May 3rd, 2017]
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- Introduction to quantum mechanics - Wikipedia [Last Updated On: May 3rd, 2017] [Originally Added On: May 3rd, 2017]
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- 14-Year-Old Earns Physics Degree From TCU CBS Dallas / Fort ... - CBS DFW [Last Updated On: May 11th, 2017] [Originally Added On: May 11th, 2017]
- Quantum Entanglement Persists Even Under High Accelerations ... - International Business Times [Last Updated On: May 11th, 2017] [Originally Added On: May 11th, 2017]
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- Quantum - Wikipedia [Last Updated On: May 11th, 2017] [Originally Added On: May 11th, 2017]
- Unbreakable quantum entanglement - Phys.Org [Last Updated On: May 11th, 2017] [Originally Added On: May 11th, 2017]
- Physics may bring faster solutions for tough computational problems - Phys.Org [Last Updated On: May 14th, 2017] [Originally Added On: May 14th, 2017]
- UBC researchers propose answer to fundamental space problem - CBC.ca [Last Updated On: May 17th, 2017] [Originally Added On: May 17th, 2017]
- Quantum Biology and the Frog Prince - ScienceBlog.com (blog) [Last Updated On: May 18th, 2017] [Originally Added On: May 18th, 2017]
- The Marriage Of Einstein's Theory Of Relativity And Quantum Physics Depends On The Pull Of Gravity - Forbes [Last Updated On: May 18th, 2017] [Originally Added On: May 18th, 2017]
- New Research May Reconcile General Relativity and Quantum Mechanics - Futurism [Last Updated On: May 18th, 2017] [Originally Added On: May 18th, 2017]
- The Bizarre Quantum Test That Could Keep Your Data Secure - WIRED [Last Updated On: May 20th, 2017] [Originally Added On: May 20th, 2017]
- Testing quantum field theory in a quantum simulator - Phys.org - Phys.Org [Last Updated On: May 20th, 2017] [Originally Added On: May 20th, 2017]
- A classic quantum test could reveal the limits of the human mind - New Scientist [Last Updated On: May 20th, 2017] [Originally Added On: May 20th, 2017]
- Teleportation Could Be Possible Using Quantum Physics - Futurism - Futurism [Last Updated On: May 22nd, 2017] [Originally Added On: May 22nd, 2017]
- Nobel winner to talk cats, computers and quantum physics - AroundtheO [Last Updated On: May 23rd, 2017] [Originally Added On: May 23rd, 2017]
- Could Ant-Man Beat Superman With Quantum Physics? - Heroic Hollywood (blog) [Last Updated On: May 26th, 2017] [Originally Added On: May 26th, 2017]
- Physicists Discover Geometry Underlying Particle Physics [Last Updated On: May 26th, 2017] [Originally Added On: May 26th, 2017]
- Home - Center for Quantum Activism [Last Updated On: May 26th, 2017] [Originally Added On: May 26th, 2017]
- Physics - Wikipedia [Last Updated On: May 26th, 2017] [Originally Added On: May 26th, 2017]
- What Quantum Physics Can Tell Us about the Afterlife ... [Last Updated On: May 26th, 2017] [Originally Added On: May 26th, 2017]
- A Quantum Physicist Explains How Ant-Man Can Beat Superman - Inverse [Last Updated On: May 28th, 2017] [Originally Added On: May 28th, 2017]
- Academic Journal: Quantum Physics Is 'Oppressive' to Marginalized People - National Review [Last Updated On: May 30th, 2017] [Originally Added On: May 30th, 2017]
- University of Arizona Scholar Creates a Feminist Brand of Physics to ... - Breitbart News [Last Updated On: June 1st, 2017] [Originally Added On: June 1st, 2017]
- Feminist Launches 'Intersectional Quantum Physics' to End Newton's 'Oppression' - PJ Media [Last Updated On: June 1st, 2017] [Originally Added On: June 1st, 2017]
- In atomic propellers, quantum phenomena can mimic everyday ... - Phys.Org [Last Updated On: June 1st, 2017] [Originally Added On: June 1st, 2017]
- Quantum physics is oppressive - Patheos - Patheos (blog) [Last Updated On: June 5th, 2017] [Originally Added On: June 5th, 2017]
- It's widely abused as a buzzword. But can quantum mechanics explain how we think? - National Post [Last Updated On: June 5th, 2017] [Originally Added On: June 5th, 2017]
- Quantum Physics and Love are Super Weird and Confusing, but This Play Makes Sense of Them Both - LA Magazine [Last Updated On: June 6th, 2017] [Originally Added On: June 6th, 2017]
- One step closer to the quantum internet by distillation - Phys.Org [Last Updated On: June 7th, 2017] [Originally Added On: June 7th, 2017]
- Solving systems of linear equations with quantum mechanics - Phys.Org [Last Updated On: June 10th, 2017] [Originally Added On: June 10th, 2017]
- Neural networks take on quantum entanglement - Phys.Org [Last Updated On: June 14th, 2017] [Originally Added On: June 14th, 2017]
- Chinese satellite breaks a quantum physics record, beams entangled photons from space to Earth - Los Angeles Times [Last Updated On: June 15th, 2017] [Originally Added On: June 15th, 2017]
- Cybersecurity Attacks Are a Global Threat. Chinese Scientists Have the Answer: Quantum Mechanics - Newsweek [Last Updated On: June 16th, 2017] [Originally Added On: June 16th, 2017]
- New Quantum-Entanglement Record Could Spur Hack-Proof Communications - Yahoo News [Last Updated On: June 18th, 2017] [Originally Added On: June 18th, 2017]
- What Is Quantum Mechanics? - livescience.com [Last Updated On: June 18th, 2017] [Originally Added On: June 18th, 2017]
- China sets new record for quantum entanglement en route to build new communication network - NEWS.com.au [Last Updated On: June 19th, 2017] [Originally Added On: June 19th, 2017]
- Physicists Demonstrate Record Breaking Long-Distance Quantum Entanglement in Space - Futurism [Last Updated On: June 21st, 2017] [Originally Added On: June 21st, 2017]
- Viewpoint: A Roadmap for a Scalable Topological Quantum Computer - Physics [Last Updated On: June 22nd, 2017] [Originally Added On: June 22nd, 2017]
- How Schrdinger's Cat Helps Explain the New Findings About the Quantum Zeno Effect - Futurism [Last Updated On: June 22nd, 2017] [Originally Added On: June 22nd, 2017]
- BMW and Volkswagen Try to Beat Apple and Google at Their Own Game - New York Times [Last Updated On: June 23rd, 2017] [Originally Added On: June 23rd, 2017]
- How quantum physics could revolutionize casinos and betting if you can understand it - Casinopedia [Last Updated On: June 23rd, 2017] [Originally Added On: June 23rd, 2017]
- Quantum thermometer or optical refrigerator? - Phys.org - Phys.Org [Last Updated On: June 23rd, 2017] [Originally Added On: June 23rd, 2017]
- Atomic imperfections move quantum communication network closer ... - Phys.Org [Last Updated On: June 24th, 2017] [Originally Added On: June 24th, 2017]
- DoE Launches Chicago Quantum Exchange - HPCwire (blog) [Last Updated On: June 26th, 2017] [Originally Added On: June 26th, 2017]
- Google to Achieve "Supremacy" in Quantum Computing by the End of 2017 - Big Think [Last Updated On: June 26th, 2017] [Originally Added On: June 26th, 2017]
- Physicists settle debate over how exotic quantum particles form - Phys.Org [Last Updated On: June 27th, 2017] [Originally Added On: June 27th, 2017]
- Physicists make quantum leap in understanding life's nanoscale machinery - Phys.Org [Last Updated On: June 27th, 2017] [Originally Added On: June 27th, 2017]
- How quantum trickery can scramble cause and effect - Nature.com [Last Updated On: June 28th, 2017] [Originally Added On: June 28th, 2017]
- Berkeley Lab Intern Finds Her Way in Particle Physics | Berkeley Lab - Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory [Last Updated On: June 28th, 2017] [Originally Added On: June 28th, 2017]
- Quantum Physics News - Phys.org - News and Articles on ... [Last Updated On: June 28th, 2017] [Originally Added On: June 28th, 2017]
- Quantum computers are about to get real - Science News Magazine [Last Updated On: June 29th, 2017] [Originally Added On: June 29th, 2017]
- Physics4Kids.com: Modern Physics: Quantum Mechanics [Last Updated On: June 29th, 2017] [Originally Added On: June 29th, 2017]
- Payments Innovation - A Quantum World Of Payments - Finextra (blog) [Last Updated On: June 30th, 2017] [Originally Added On: June 30th, 2017]
- Why can't quantum theory and relativity get along? - Brantford Expositor [Last Updated On: June 30th, 2017] [Originally Added On: June 30th, 2017]
- New method could enable more stable and scalable quantum computing, physicists report - Phys.Org [Last Updated On: June 30th, 2017] [Originally Added On: June 30th, 2017]
- Telecommunications, Meet Quantum Physics - Electronics360 [Last Updated On: June 30th, 2017] [Originally Added On: June 30th, 2017]
- How young is too young to talk to kids about science? Never, says one quantum physicist - ABC Local [Last Updated On: July 9th, 2017] [Originally Added On: July 9th, 2017]
- Supercool breakthrough brings new quantum benchmark - Phys.org - Phys.Org [Last Updated On: July 9th, 2017] [Originally Added On: July 9th, 2017]
- Physics For Toddlers . News | OPB - OPB News [Last Updated On: July 9th, 2017] [Originally Added On: July 9th, 2017]
- Quantum Physics Provide Evidence that the Future Influences the Past - Edgy Labs (blog) [Last Updated On: July 9th, 2017] [Originally Added On: July 9th, 2017]
- This quantum theory predicts that the future might be influencing the ... - ScienceAlert [Last Updated On: July 9th, 2017] [Originally Added On: July 9th, 2017]
- Physicists May Have Discovered One of the Missing Pieces of Quantum Theory - Futurism [Last Updated On: July 9th, 2017] [Originally Added On: July 9th, 2017]
- Something New For Baby To Chew On: Rocket Science And ... - NPR - NPR [Last Updated On: July 9th, 2017] [Originally Added On: July 9th, 2017]
- A New Quantum Theory Predicts That the Future Could Be Influencing the Past - Big Think [Last Updated On: July 14th, 2017] [Originally Added On: July 14th, 2017]
- Basic Assumptions of Physics Might Require the Future to Influence ... - Gizmodo [Last Updated On: July 14th, 2017] [Originally Added On: July 14th, 2017]
- Scientists teleport particle into space in major breakthrough for quantum physics - The Independent [Last Updated On: July 14th, 2017] [Originally Added On: July 14th, 2017]
- Rockstar scientist David Reilly takes the axe to quantum physics - The Sydney Morning Herald [Last Updated On: July 14th, 2017] [Originally Added On: July 14th, 2017]
- Quantum Mechanics Could Shake Up Our Understanding of Earth's ... - Gizmodo [Last Updated On: July 14th, 2017] [Originally Added On: July 14th, 2017]
- The Standard Model of particle physics is brilliant and completely flawed - ABC Online [Last Updated On: July 17th, 2017] [Originally Added On: July 17th, 2017]
- Quantum mechanics inside Earth's core - Phys.org - Phys.Org [Last Updated On: July 17th, 2017] [Originally Added On: July 17th, 2017]
- Making a quantum leap in space research - Shanghai Daily (subscription) [Last Updated On: August 6th, 2017] [Originally Added On: August 6th, 2017]
- Unlocking the Secrets of Quantum Physics to Create New Materials - Yu News (blog) [Last Updated On: August 6th, 2017] [Originally Added On: August 6th, 2017]
- China's Silicon Valley aims to become the country's top research center - Abacus [Last Updated On: October 16th, 2019] [Originally Added On: October 16th, 2019]