A unique quantum measurement was performed at Ben-Gurion University

In the quantum world, where every measurement affects the thing you want to measure, it is very difficult to know exactly how to define and measure work. Such a measurement has now been carried out in the atomic chip group at Ben-Gurion University

A unique quantum measurement, based on a special concept called entanglement, was performed at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev and its findings were published on November 1.11.2017, XNUMX in the prestigious journal Nature Communications and on the same day at a conference at Harvard University on quantum thermodynamics. The work was carried out jointly with the theoretical group of Prof. Juan Pablo Paz from Argentina, when the unique experiment was carried out in its entirety at Ben-Gurion University.

The doctoral student Yair Margalit, the former doctoral student Dr. Shimon Makhlof (who is currently doing a post-doctorate at the University of Amsterdam), and the head of the group Prof. Ron Polman took part in the experiment.

According to Prof. Pullman, The concept of work is a very basic concept in the world of physics. It is not possible to perform any physical action such as moving an object without performing work. In our day-to-day world the concept of work is easy to define and measure. On the other hand, in the quantum world, where every measurement affects the thing you want to measure, it is very difficult to know exactly how to define and measure work. Such a measurement has now been carried out in the atomic chip group at Ben-Gurion University.

"In these days," says Prof. Polman, "in which enormous efforts are being invested in all countries of the world in order to develop quantum technologies, such as the quantum computer, it is extremely important to understand the basic processes that occur when quantum operations are performed on a particle that change its state.

The solution to the question of how to measure quantum work without disturbing the system is found with the help of a special concept in quantum theory called entanglement. The entanglement describes a situation where two particles or two systems have a special relationship that allows them to influence each other immediately. This is a very strange physical effect, which exists only in quantum theory and basically allows two particles to influence each other from huge distances and instantly.

In an experiment carried out at the university, instead of making normal measurements on the system, it was linked with a second system using a process of interweaving. The second system basically became a measurer of the work in the first system without a scientist with crude measuring devices in the process. Only at the end of the process, when the second system had already measured the work with the help of the interweaving knot, did the scientists turn on their measuring devices on the second system and get the result.

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