NIST researchers have made significant progress in understanding quantum superposition, a fundamental concept in quantum mechanics. In 1996, they demonstrated that a single atom could exist in two separate states simultaneously. Their latest experiments, published in Nature, show that the environmental influence on these superpositions increases exponentially as the distance between the two states grows.
The team, led by David Wineland and Christopher Monroe, used a single beryllium ion confined in an electromagnetic trap and cooled to near absolute zero. They separated the ion’s two internal quantum states over a range of distances from almost overlapping to around 10 atomic widths apart. As the distance increased, the environmental effects on the superposition grew rapidly, causing the ion to collapse back into a single state.
This research helps bridge the gap between quantum mechanics and the real world, providing a better understanding of why superpositions are not observable in our everyday macro-sized world. The findings have implications for quantum computing and information processing, as they help explain the delicate nature of quantum states and the challenges in maintaining them for practical applications.
Keywords: superposition, quantum, atom, electron, entanglement
