Quantum interference and entanglement in ultracold atom-exchange reactions

Coherent superpositions and entanglement are hallmarks of quantum mechanics, but they are fragile and can easily be perturbed by their environment. Selected isolated physical systems can maintain coherence and generate entanglement using well-controlled interactions. Chemical reactions, where bonds...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:arXiv.org 2023-10
Main Authors: Yi-Xiang, Liu, Zhu, Lingbang, Jeshurun Luke, Arfor Houwman, J J, Babin, Mark C, Hu, Ming-Guang, Kang-Kuen Ni
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Chemical bonds
Chemical reactions
Coherence
Entangled states
Nuclear spin
Quantum entanglement
Quantum mechanics
Questions
Reaction products
Ultracold atoms
Wave functions
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Summary:Coherent superpositions and entanglement are hallmarks of quantum mechanics, but they are fragile and can easily be perturbed by their environment. Selected isolated physical systems can maintain coherence and generate entanglement using well-controlled interactions. Chemical reactions, where bonds break and form, are highly dynamic quantum processes. A fundamental question is whether coherence can be preserved in chemical reactions and then harnessed to generate entangled products. Here we investigate this question by studying the 2KRb \(\rightarrow\) K\(_2\) + Rb\(_2\) reaction at 500 nK, focusing on the the nuclear spin degrees of freedom. We prepare the initial nuclear spins in KRb in an entangled state and characterize the preserved coherence in nuclear spin wavefunction after the reaction. The data are consistent with full coherence at the end of the reaction. This suggests that entanglement can be prepared within the reactants, followed by a chemical reaction that produces separate, entangled molecules. We additionally demonstrate control of the reaction product state distribution by deliberately decohering the reactants.
ISSN:2331-8422