Unveiling the Mysteries of Quantum Physics - Part II

Quantum Teleportation: From Fiction to Reality

In the realm of imagination, the fantastical concepts envisioned by fiction writers find surprising validation within Quantum Physics, with some of these ideas pushing the boundaries of even our wildest thoughts. One of these weirdest thoughts includes teleportation which has been used for centuries by fiction writers. This concept was restricted to movies and fairy tales but Quantum Physics is here to change that. In this article, we discover how this fascinating branch of Physics has turned Teleportation from science fiction into reality. 

Teleportation, while indeed a reality, still does not confer the ability to move objects physically, akin to the telekinesis seen in Star Wars. But, teleportation in reality is a little different from movies and books. In reality, properties change and this process is restricted to just particles, not physical objects as a whole in film. Another aspect to consider is that the objects do not physically swap places or alter their locations. Instead, it’s more akin to one object adopting the characteristics of the other. In essence, they exchange properties. However, before delving into this subject, we must acquaint ourselves with certain intricate yet enthralling principles in Quantum Physics.

Visualize a scenario where you possess a set of headphones, and your friend possesses an identical pair, so when you play a song, your friend's headphones start playing the same song too even if your friend is present in another galaxy. They are connected with each other no matter the distance. This phenomenon is known as Quantum Entanglement. 

Isn’t this amazing? Scientists say that all the particles in the universe are interconnected, just like how all the social media platforms are interconnected to the internet. Now suppose you have a red marble while your friend has a green marble and both are interconnected to each other. Now you inform your friend that when you start spinning the marble clockwise that means “I am coming to your house”. So when you start spinning your red marble, the green marble also starts spinning clockwise and your friend sees it and now knows that you are going to pay a visit to his house. 

Well, you must be pondering how this can occur; surely, there must be an elucidation for this phenomenon. First of all, this happens only in particles but in the future scientists might be able to reproduce this in bigger objects. This happens because a particle transfers its properties to the other particle. And a person will think they switched places like in teleportation. I gave the example of a marble spinning clockwise so it transfers its properties to the other marble. When your friend spins it, your friend’s marble will transfer its properties to yours. 

Nevertheless, This is complex so let’s learn it by another example. Suppose you have a red apple and your friend has one red apple too. Now they are interconnected with each other and you take a paintbrush and paint the apple green while your friend paints his apple blue simultaneously. So what will happen is that your apple will be blue while your friend's apple will turn green because they switched their properties. 

While quantum teleportation is mind-boggling, turning it into reality isn't easy. It needs extremely controlled environments to protect the delicate quantum properties. Any interference or loss of information can mess up the teleportation process. However, scientists are making progress. In 2020, researchers from China teleported a tiny particle from Earth to a satellite in space, over 1,400 kilometers away. This was a significant step in proving that quantum teleportation can work over long distances.

You'll be delighted to discover that teleportation becoming a reality offers the tantalizing prospect of effortlessly moving from one place to another, saving valuable time, energy, and resources in the process. This concept is not just reduced to science fiction or fun experiments but has real-life applications that can shape the future. 

But as I said before, it’s not that easy, and quantum teleportation requires certain conditions like temperature and pressure. Quantum Teleportation can only take place if the temperature is at the freezing point of water or low, same with the pressure. It can happen in areas with or less pressure than the atmospheric pressure.

Quantum Physics can create ultra-secure communication as no one will be able to intercept your message or eavesdrop. Just like the marble sending messages to your friend which no one will be able to guess what it says. But this is not the only benefit, this can help us create futuristic computers with quantum properties. Quantum teleportation might help transfer information between different parts of a quantum computer. But this is not all, Quantum Quantum teleportation, formerly a subject mostly consigned to the realms of science fiction, is now progressively manifesting as a genuine prospect. As our grasp of quantum mechanics deepens and our technological capabilities burgeon, the practical applications for this teleportation can also help us create unhackable encryption keys, making our data safer.

While personal translocation to remote celestial bodies may not be imminent, the pragmatic implications of quantum teleportation in fields like communication, computing, and cryptography are undeniably exhilarating. The transition from science fiction to reality is still ongoing, but the potential of quantum teleportation appears boundless.

The Role of Quantum Physics in Understanding the Nature of Time

Expanding upon our previous discussions concerning the imaginative realms of fiction writers and the profound inquiries of philosophers, let us embark on a deeper exploration into the fascinating world of quantum physics. Within this realm, we shall unveil the potential of quantum physics to shed light on the strange nature of time, while also contemplating its possible malleability. Time, a fundamental concept has led to our existence and will lead us to our end, it has captivated our collective curiosity for generations. Its ever-present flow influences not only our lives but also the very essence of all living beings on this planet.

But before we go into the technicalities and study time scientifically through the mysterious world of quantum, let us first view how time was viewed and termed by philosophers classically. In classical physics, time is termed as the unchangeable fourth dimension. It flows independently and uniformly with all events occurring according to it. Even Sir Isaac Newton formed the basis of classic mechanics which led this world to where it is today. This theory as an independent dimension is still widely accepted by scientists and philosophers to this date, but is quantum physics going to change it? Let's find out. 

In the 20th century, the unimaginable world of quantum shattered the classic laws of physics such as the famous Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle informs us that we cannot simultaneously know the precise position and momentum of a particle. This inherent uncertainty challenges the idea of a deterministic universe governed by classical laws. 

Quantum physics also introduced the concept of superstitions, which states that a particle can be in multiple states at once. This also denies the classical physical laws. This is the reason why many people, even scientists that quantum physics is made up, is fiction to be precise. 

In the quantum realm, time is a different character where time becomes entangled with the quantum states of a particle. To make it easy, you can say that time becomes a state of a particle. So for now withhold any doubts about Quantum Physics at this point, as its unconventional nature might seem puzzling to those less familiar with it. Nonetheless, it is essential to acknowledge that these phenomena have been well-established in the realm of quantum physics research. 

Let’s make it easy and learn this mind-blowing concept from one of the most renowned thought experiments known as Schrödinger's Cat. Imagine a box with a cat inside. In the box, there's a special atom, a device that checks for radiation, a container of poison gas, and a hammer. If the radiation device detects anything, it breaks the container, releasing the poison and harming the cat. If there's no radiation, the cat stays safe. 

In classical terms, the cat will be alive or dead but in the realm of quantum, the cat exists in the superstition of both states, meaning it is alive as well as dead until the box is opened and observed. This experiment highlights the connection between the states of quantum and the flow and perception of time, as time's passage seems to depend on the act of observation.

This is just like rest and motion. For a person on Earth, the Earth is at rest while for a person observing from a satellite near Earth over the passage of time will observe that our planet is moving. So it depends on the observer, and how it observes. 

Another important concept while discussing time is the “Arrow of Time '', what is this? It refers to the unidirectional flow of time from past to future. Classical physics doesn't have any answer for this while quantum physics does have something to say on this. 

To explain why time moves uniformly and in the same direction, we will need to take a look at Quantum decoherence. It is a system which is a very tiny and weird world. This system starts to lose its special properties when it starts to interact with the normal world. This helps time to create a one-way flow and things happen in a certain order. 

This idea is further explored through the Wheeler-DeWitt equation, a central component of quantum cosmology. This equation attempts to describe the quantum state of the entire universe, treating it as a closed quantum system. But we won’t go into detail about it. 

But one question remains: how is quantum even connected with space and time? But it in reality is more related than you think. There’s a point which connects both of these, known as “Quantum Gravity”. General relativity, Einstein’s theory of gravity describes that space and time are smooth, but in quantum, it is the opposite. You should ask me why everything is the opposite in quantum physics. A question which I or even scientists can’t even answer.  

So, am I trying to prove Einstein's theory wrong? Well, no but quantum physics is doing it. Scientists are trying to find a way to mix quantum rules with the way space and time work. Some theories, like loop quantum gravity and string theory, suggest that space and time are made up of tiny, tangled pieces at the smallest levels. This makes space and time seem like they're connected and always changing. 

Time Travel, a fictional concept which was denied by classical physics and some major physicians is proved wrong by quantum and has opened doors to time travel.  So we are once again going against classical mechanics and Einstein. 

One of the proposals by quantum researchers is “closed timelike curves. This is even in Einstein's field equations. These curves suggest that under specific conditions, it might be possible to loop back in time. However, the validity and practicality of such scenarios remain subjects of debate and investigation.

Not only this, scientists state that quantum entanglement is also related to time and where the state of one particle could influence the state of another particle not only in space but also in time. However, this is debatable and not experimentally proven but theoretically, it is correct. 

Quantum physics has revolutionized our understanding of the universe, challenging classical notions of time and reality. It has introduced uncertainty, entanglement, and the blurring of boundaries between quantum and classical domains. While many questions remain unanswered, the interplay between quantum physics and the nature of time continues to captivate scientists and philosophers alike. As our knowledge of time through quantum and quantum teleportation deepens, we may inch closer to unraveling the mysteries of time itself.