Teleportation sets new record, superposition and more..

Credit: IFLS

Firstly, we need to understand what Quantum Mechanics is. It is a theory of the micro-world (at the scales of atoms and smaller!). The micro-world exhibits some profoundly bizarre behavior. Some of these include superposition, the wave-particle duality, the probabilistic nature of the universe, entanglement and many more!

Quantum Teleportation is based on entanglement. What happens is, information is “sent” from one particle to another, even across vast distances, at enormous speeds (faster than light). Such particles are said to be entangled and a copy of that state of information is created at both ends. Because of this, a hypothetical quantum internet system could have exchanges of information taking place at dizzying speeds! It is a technology for the future!

Let me also explain the wave-particle duality. Experiments have shown that ALL objects, not just light, exhibit a dualistic nature i.e both particle and wave-like. This was confirmed by the infamous double-slit experiment involving electrons. An interference pattern was observed after a certain time interval, indicating that the electrons behaved like waves (even though they are particles!). Not only electrons, even buckyballs have been known to show this phenomena. You might be asking yourself at this point, why am I not wave-like? Well, quantum effects get reduced vastly in the macroscopic world! 

Superposition is even weirder! It says that everything occupies every possible space in the universe and that finding it at certain places is more probable than at other places! An interesting analogy is given with the help of electrons, using their angular momentum in the x-plane, y-plane and z-plane. Even with us knowing that certain electrons are travelling at certain angle ranges (0-180), it is impossible for us to predict with exact certainty what they’ll do when they pass through a device which sorts electrons by angular momentum! (The analogy was given in an MIT lecture using colors and electron box) 

So, with all this, Quantum Mechanics predicts a universe with a probabilistic nature. Many quantum effects are negligible in the macro world, but they are fundamental in the micro-world. Quantum mechanics has been the most scrutinized theory in the history of science, and the most bizarre one, yet it has passed every experimental verification test! It really appears as if we are in a universe governed by chance. 

Einstein, though, hated Quantum Mechanics, for precisely its probabilistic nature. He summed up his thoughts by saying, “God doesn’t play dice.” His general theory of relativity is the most accurate theory for the macro-world. However, it is a classical theory and does not take into consideration the effects of quantum phenomena. However, when the universe was very very small (the actual length is called planck length), which it was after the big bang for a small time, quantum effects have to be considered. 

General relativity has not yet been united with Quantum Mechanics into a Quantum theory of Gravity

Thus, to find a unified theory of everything, which was Einstein’s greatest wish, one must find a way to unite these conflicting viewpoints of General Relativity and Quantum Mechanics. Its a challenge no one has been able to complete…. Yet.