Are all particles and photons entangled?

In summary, particles and photons can potentially be entangled at birth depending on the circumstances of their creation. However, the majority of photons emitted by the sun are not entangled due to the complexity of the sun's composition. While it is possible for the sun to emit entangled photons, the fraction of such light compared to the total luminosity is too small to be measured.
  • #1
jjfromspace
1
0
1) are all particles/photons theoretically entangled at birth but we just never or will know? Or is it under specific conditions?
2) how much of the photons that the sun emits entangled particles/photons?
 
Physics news on Phys.org
  • #2
1) The circumstances of how the particles are created will determine if and how they are entangled at birth. For example, a single excited atom can emit a single photon, and doubly-excited atoms can emit pairs of photons that may be entangled depending on the circumstances.

2) As far as the light that the sun emits, it will mostly be incoherent (unentangled) thermal light, or the same kind of light that all glowing hot bodies emit. The sun is generally more complex than just a glowing ball of hot gas, and if there are some atoms of hydrogen excited to the right energy level they can emit pairs of polarization-entangled photons as they decay back to their ground states.

If you use Boltzmann statistics to figure out the fraction of hydrogen atoms in a doubly excited state in a ball of gas as hot as the surface of the sun, it's still a very very small fraction (about one part in 50 billion). So, even though it's very likely that the sun can and does emit pairs of entangled photons, the fraction of such light compared to the total luminosity of the sun is too small to be measurable.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Likes jjfromspace and Mentz114

Related to Are all particles and photons entangled?

1. What is entanglement?

Entanglement is a phenomenon in quantum mechanics where two or more particles become connected in such a way that the state of one particle affects the state of the other particles, regardless of the distance between them.

2. How are particles and photons entangled?

Particles and photons can become entangled through a process called quantum entanglement, where they are created in a way that their properties are correlated. This means that if you measure the state of one particle, you can predict the state of the other particle, even if they are separated by a large distance.

3. Are all particles and photons entangled?

No, not all particles and photons are entangled. Entanglement is a quantum mechanical phenomenon that occurs under specific conditions, and not all particles and photons are created or interact in a way that allows for entanglement.

4. What are some potential applications of entanglement?

Entanglement has potential applications in quantum computing, quantum cryptography, and quantum teleportation. It can also be used to study fundamental principles of quantum mechanics and to improve our understanding of the universe.

5. How is entanglement different from classical correlations?

Entanglement is different from classical correlations because it involves a non-local connection between particles that cannot be explained by classical physics. In classical correlations, the relationship between two particles is based on their past interactions, while in entanglement, the particles are connected in a way that is not dependent on their past interactions.

Similar threads

Replies
6
Views
747
Replies
5
Views
1K
Replies
7
Views
783
Replies
17
Views
1K
Replies
20
Views
2K
  • Quantum Physics
Replies
2
Views
811
Replies
1
Views
680
Replies
11
Views
738
Back
Top