Science in lap
One clock with two times: When quantum mechanics meets general relativity
Oct. 25, 2011 — The unification of quantum mechanics and Einstein's general relativity is one of the most exciting and still open questions in modern physics. General relativity, the joint theory of gravity, space and time gives predictions that become clearly evident on a cosmic scale of stars and galaxies. Quantum effects, on the other hand, are fragile and are typically observed on small scales, e.g. when considering single particles and atoms. That is why it is very hard to test the interplay between quantum mechanics and general relativity. Now theoretical physicists led by Časlav Brukner at the University of Vienna propose a novel experiment which can probe the overlap of the two theories. The focus of the work is to measure the general relativistic notion of time on a quantum scale.
One Clock With Two Times: When Quantum Mechanics Meets General Relativity - CommunePro: Community of Scientists, Engineers and Entrepreneurs
According to general relativity, time flows differently at different positions due to the distortion of space-time by a nearby massive object. A single clock being in a superposition of two locations allows probing quantum interference effects in combination with general relativity. The unification of quantum mechanics and Einstein's general relativity is one of the most exciting and still open questions in modern physics.
Not science fiction any more Sandia's quantum mechanical transistor may increase computer speed and sensor accuracy ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. -- Improvements in the transistor of the future may not rely on decreasing its size but rather on a radical change in operation made possible by a quantum mechanical transistor created at Sandia National Laboratories. The quantum mechanical transistor is the equivalent of turning on a light bulb without closing a switch: Electrons "tunnel" from path to path through a barrier that, according to classical physics, is impenetrable. The process takes place with extreme rapidity. The term "tunneling" may bring to mind moles or the highway department, but physicists use it to describe an effect in which particles, like electrons, appear in places where by rights they should not be able to go.
Quantum mechanical transistor
Title page, Preface and Table of Contents for Einstein for Everyone Introduction: the Questions Special Relativity
HPS 0410 Einstein for Everyone
Einstein for Everyone
Einstein for Everyone Nullarbor Press 2007 revisions 2008, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013 Copyright 2007, 2008, 2010, 2011, 2012 John D. Norton Published by Nullarbor Press, 500 Fifth Avenue, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15260 with offices in Liberty Ave., Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 15222 All Rights Reserved
So, the day after news broke of a possible revolution in physics — particles moving faster than light — a scientist leading the European experiment that made the discovery calmly explained it to a standing-room- only crowd at CERN , the giant particle accelerator straddling the Swiss-French border. The physicist, Dario Auterio, made no sweeping claims. He did not try to explain what the results might mean for the laws of physics, let alone the broader world.
Particles faster than light: Revolution or mistake?
