Quantum Mechanics - How Do You Know That Things Are Entangled?

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In the experiment, you always need to basically prepare the same state many times m and do a set of measurements im that. And again, this phenomenon of quantum superposition means that when we measure the state of an atom, it's kind of like a coin toss. There's some randomness. It requires making sure all the technical noise is not a limitation, and that you're really just seeing the quantum noise.

When it comes to thinking about quantum mechanics, there are levels. One level is shut-up-and-calculate: find a wave function, square it to get a probability. One level is foundational: dig deeply into the underlying ontology. But there’s a level in between, long neglected but recently coming to life. In this level you think about — or do experiments with — entangled quantum systems in the real world, putting entanglement to use. Monika Schleier-Smith is an experimental physicist specializing in cold atoms, which can be both entangled and manipulated. We discuss how to use such systems to study everything from metrology to quantum gravity.

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Monika Schleier-Smith received her Ph.D. in physics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. She is currently an Associate Professor of Physics at Stanford University. Among her awards are a MacArthur Fellowship, a Sloan Fellowship, and the I. I. Rabi Prize in Atomic, Molecular, and Optical Physics from the American Physical Society.

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