Classical physics and quantum mechanics are not consistent with each other, because the micro-world turns out to be extremely unfamiliar to us. One of the most impressive examples of this is quantum entanglement. This phenomenon claims that the state of one particle can be determined by analyzing its entangled pair, no matter how far apart they are. Such an effect contradicts classical physics and led Albert Einstein himself to call it “spooky action at a distance.”
This property is known as non-local quantum field theory, where particles interact at a distance, seemingly violating the speed-of-light constraints. In classical physics, things work differently: objects only affect those that are nearby. This fundamental difference is explained by the Greenberger-Horne-Zeilinger (GHZ) paradox, formulated in 1989. This paradox proves that quantum theory cannot be explained using a local realist approach. If particles are only affected by their immediate surroundings, mathematical contradictions arise, such as an equation where 1 equals -1.
The newest study, published in the journal Science Advances, decided to test just how strange these paradoxes can be. An international team of scientists investigated the behavior of light particles and got results that exceeded all expectations. They created photons that exist in 37 dimensions. By comparison, we exist in three spatial dimensions with an additional temporal dimension.
“This experiment shows that quantum physics is even more paradoxical than we realized,” said Zhenghao Liu, co-author of the study from the Technical University of Denmark. He also suggested that even a century after the discovery of quantum mechanics, we are only beginning to realize its true potential.
Performing this experiment was extremely difficult. The researchers had to adapt the Greenberger-Horne-Zeilinger paradox to coherent light – with well-defined wavelengths and colors – to make it easier to work with. As a result, the team created the strongest “non-classical effects” in the quantum world.
“We believe that our work opens new horizons for future research,” the paper’s authors write. The results could be used to create even more powerful quantum systems in high dimensions, they said.
In other words, if we have only touched the tip of the quantum iceberg. The real breakthroughs remain to come. The strange and incomprehensible world that quantum physics describes may hold the keys to revolutionary future technologies.
Earlier we reported on the Top 7 mysteries of the Universe.
According to New Scientist
