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San K
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Why do (we assume that) entangled particles (say photons/electrons) have to be in an indeterminate state?
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San K said:Why do (we assume that) entangled particles have to be in an indeterminate state?
San K said:Why do (we assume that) entangled particles (say photons/electrons) have to be in an indeterminate state?
Darwin123 said:The probability function has to satisfy invariance with exchange of particles. The invariance of measurable properties with exchange of particle index is a major hypothesis in the theory. If the individual particles were in a state where their parameters could be determined precisely, then by definition there would be a measurement that could distinguish between particles.
The invariance of measurable parameters to particle exchange is an important physical symmetry. Sometime it is referred to as "exchange symmetry". It is an important physical postulate in quantum mechanics. One consequence of this condition is the existence of bosons and fermions.
Note that the wave function itself does not have to be invariant to particle exchange because one can never measure the entire wave function. The idea is that the expectation values (i.e., measurable parameters) have to be invariant to particle exchange. The difference between an expectation value being invariant to particle exchange and the wave function being invariant to particle exchange was confusing to me.
Just one additional fact:San K said:Thanks Darwin. Well answered.
Entangled particles have to be in an indeterminate state because of the principle of quantum superposition. This means that a particle can exist in multiple states at the same time, until it is observed or measured. In the case of entangled particles, their states are linked or correlated, so when one particle is observed, the state of the other particle is also determined.
Particles can become entangled through interactions such as collisions, emissions, or interactions with other particles. These interactions cause the particles to become linked or correlated, resulting in entanglement.
Entanglement affects the behavior of particles by causing them to exhibit correlated behavior, even when they are physically separated. This means that by observing the state of one particle, we can infer the state of the other particle, even if they are located in different parts of the universe.
No, entangled particles cannot be used for communication. This is because the state of entangled particles cannot be controlled or manipulated, and therefore cannot be used to transmit information.
Entangled particles have potential applications in quantum computing, cryptography, and teleportation. However, more research and development is needed in these areas before they can be fully realized.