Departmental Seminar

Why quantum correlations are shocking

Dr Michael Hall
Department of Fundamental and Theoretical Physics, Research School of Physics, ANU

An accessible argument is given for why some correlations between quantum systems boggle our classical intuition. The argument relies on simple properties of joint probabilities, and recovers the standard experimentally-testable Bell inequality in a form that applies equally well to correlations between six-sided dice and between photon polarizations. The observed violation of this inequality implies that the quantities measured on one system cannot have a joint probability distribution that is invariant with respect to the choice of measurement made on a distant system. The possible but extraordinary physical mechanisms underlying this result -- intrinsically incompatible observables, faster-than-light influences and constrained experimental choice -- are briefly discussed. The talk will be at a level suitable for a broad audience.


Join the Zoom Meeting
Meeting ID: 839 0064 5191
Password: theophys

Date & time

Thu 16 May 2024, 1–2pm

Location

Via Zoom

Audience

Members of RSPE welcome

Contact

(02)61258224