Scientists previously theorized time can go quantum, using atomic clocks will demonstrate how it can tick fast and slow at the same time.
A new theory proposed by researchers at the Stevens Institute of Technology, Colorado State University, and the National Institute of Standards and Technology shows that time can exist in a quantum superposition, ticking both fast and slow at the same time.
The research also shows how quantum technologies are providing new tools to study the fundamental mysteries of physics. Time, for instance, is a fundamental concept that is at once enigmatic and commonplace. We all use time every day, even in the most precise applications, such as GPS. But our understanding of the concept is still relatively small. Great minds like Einstein have tried to tell us about time and how its flow is dependent on motion and gravity. But add a layer of quantum theory to it, and the flow of time becomes counterintuitive. How can time be quantum? As per the Theory of Relativity, every clock experiences its own flow of time. This is dependent on its velocity and position. For instance, researchers at NIST have shown that, using ultra-precise clocks, a clock moving at 10 meters per second for 57 million years would lag a clock at rest by 1 second. Known as the twin paradox, this is the equivalent of identical twins aging differently if one of them were to travel faster than the other. However, when the clock’s motion is studied from a quantum mechanics perspective, it can exist in superposition, and along with it, the passage of time as well. In simpler terms, it is counterintuitive to Schrondinger’s famous thought experiment with the cat. While in that case the cat is both dead and alive, over time it is both young and old. “Time plays very different roles in quantum theory and in relativity,” said Igor Pikovski, assistant professor of theoretical physics at Stevens Institute of Technology, in a press release.“What we show is that bringing these two concepts together can reveal hidden quantum signatures of time-flow that can no longer be described by classical physics.” Time in superpositionOver a decade ago, Pikovski had suggested that as per quantum theory, time should be in superposition. However, demonstrating this experimentally was difficult. Now, the researchers are confident that the new generation atomic clocks and other quantum technologies that have been developed will be able to demonstrate the same. The collaborative effort of researchers investigated the interplay of relativistic time and quantum effects in atomic clocks. After cooling atomic clocks that trap single ions such as aluminum and ytterbium to absolute zero, the researchers manipulated their quantum states with laser pulses. “Atomic clocks are now so sensitive, they can detect tiny differences in time caused by just the thermal vibrations at minuscule temperatures,” added Gabriel Sorci, a PhD candidate at Stevens Institute of Technology, who was involved with the work. “But even at the absolute zero temperature, the ground state, the ticking rate will still be affected by just the quantum fluctuations alone.”The researchers went a step ahead and even manipulated the vacuum itself, creating squeezed states in which the clock’s position and velocity can exhibit quantum behavior. The result was a manifestation of relativistic time in which superposition and entanglement arise, and a single clock measures how it ticks faster or slower at the same time. The theoretical paper was published in Physical Review Letters, and the team is expected to conduct laboratory experiments to verify the same soon.
Gravity Physics Quantum Entanglement Quantum Physics Quantum Properties Superposition Theory Of Relativity Time
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