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Thinking Outside Schrödinger's Box: Researchers Investigate Whether We Can See Inside a Box Without Looking at It
Results published online in "Scientific Reports" on March 6, 2023
2023.03.07
Schrodinger's cat is a thought experiment in quantum mechanics that explores the idea of superposition, where an object can exist in two states at the same time. In the experiment, a hypothetical cat is placed in a box, and its state remains unknown until the box is opened and the cat is observed. However, watching the cat also alters its state, potentially leading to a different outcome than if the box had not been opened at all. This paradox highlights the strange and counterintuitive nature of quantum mechanics.
Dr. Le Bin Ho of FRIS, Tohoku University, and his colleague have discovered a new way to peek inside Schrödinger's box using quantum computers without altering what is inside. They use a technique called quantum compilation, which transforms the system's state into a special type of computer program called a quantum circuit. This quantum circuit then reflects the cat's state in the box, much like a mirror reflecting an object, so we can observe its status without harming it. This breakthrough opens up new possibilities for quantum computing and helps us better understand the mysteries of quantum mechanics.
The method is precious for quantum state tomography, a technique used in quantum mechanics to determine a system's state. It uses quantum compilation to transform the state into a quantum circuit. Once the state is represented in this way, it can be utilized across various fields such as quantum computing, quantum cryptography, and quantum simulation.
This discovery was published in Scientific Reports on March 6, 2023.
Dr. Le Bin Ho of FRIS, Tohoku University, and his colleague have discovered a new way to peek inside Schrödinger's box using quantum computers without altering what is inside. They use a technique called quantum compilation, which transforms the system's state into a special type of computer program called a quantum circuit. This quantum circuit then reflects the cat's state in the box, much like a mirror reflecting an object, so we can observe its status without harming it. This breakthrough opens up new possibilities for quantum computing and helps us better understand the mysteries of quantum mechanics.
The method is precious for quantum state tomography, a technique used in quantum mechanics to determine a system's state. It uses quantum compilation to transform the state into a quantum circuit. Once the state is represented in this way, it can be utilized across various fields such as quantum computing, quantum cryptography, and quantum simulation.
This discovery was published in Scientific Reports on March 6, 2023.
Figure: Quantum compilation is like a mirror that reflects the image of a cat inside a box from the real space to the computational space, allowing us to observe the cat's status without causing any harm to it.
Publication Details:
Vu Tuan Hai and Le Bin Ho
Scientific Reports
"Universal compilation for quantum state tomography"
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-30983-4
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-30983-4