Schrödinger's cat is a thought experiment proposed by one of the creators of quantum mechanics, Erwin
This event can happen at any arbitrary time and the animal will die, but this cannot be known until you open the lid.
In recent years, physicists have conducted experiments to create Schrödinger's cats, which can be seen with the naked eye. The authors of the new work were able to create its optical analogue.
Researchers are interested in how quantumthe nature of light particles affects the change in their properties when they collide with electrons orbiting the nucleus of an atom. Traditionally, these interactions are calculated using the laws of classical physics, since they involve millions of photons and a large number of atoms and electrons.
During the experiments, the authors selected sucha technique for observing the collisions of atoms and particles of light, which allowed them to track how the behavior and properties of individual photons change under the influence of quantum processes. It turned out that previously their role in the interactions of powerful laser beams and matter was now greatly underestimated.
As a result, it turned out that the interactions of the beamlaser and electrons inside the atom caused single photons to go into a special quantum state in which they simultaneously had two different sets of properties: it was like Schrödinger's cat.
Interactions between super-powerful flashes of lightand matter are traditionally described using the language of classical physics, without taking into account their quantum nature. Our experiments have shown that the interaction of powerful laser pulses and atoms leads to the fact that light particles pass into a quantum state, similar to the "Schrödinger's cat."
Research text
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