Quantum entanglement used to simulate time travel to the past

According to researchers at the University of Cambridge in the United States, time traveling to the past may not be impossible, contrary to what Albert Einstein believed. In a series of tests Thanks to the quantum entanglement technique, researchers were able to: Simulate what might happen if particles ‘traveled back in time’. The study was published in the scientific journal Physical Letters Review.

Since one of the properties of quantum theory explains that particles are inherently connected during entanglement, they were able to simulate what would happen when “going backwards.” scientists too Used quantum metrology technique that can perform extremely precise quantum measurements; In this way, they managed to solve some problems that seemed impossible until then.

Drawing on the theory that quantum particles are so bound that they interact with each other even when separated, they performed simulations showing how a particle from the past could be replaced by a particle from the future. In fact, some of this forms the basis of quantum computing, so it is possible to perform extremely complex calculations for an ordinary computer.

“In our proposal, an experimenter intertwines two particles. The first particle is then sent for use in an experiment. When new information becomes available, the experimenter Changes the outcome of the experiment by manipulating the second particle to effectively change the past state of the first particleco-author and researcher Nicole Yunger Halpern of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the University of Maryland said in an official statement.

Quantum entanglement and time travel

Although the effect of quantum entanglement was remarkable, it occurred as expected in only one in four events, according to David Arvidsson-Shukur, lead author of the study and a partner at the Hitachi Cambridge Laboratory. In other words, the simulation only worked 25% of the time. Fortunately, he explains, this can also be considered good news because the researchers know exactly how many times the experiment failed.

The researchers claim that to eliminate the 75% chance of error, it would be necessary to send large numbers of entangled photons to send accurate and up-to-date information ‘to the past’. From here, they would use a filter to ensure only the right photons go to the right target (the past); the same filter will also reject the percentage of bad photons that cause malfunctions.

“The fact that we need to use a filter for our experiment to work is actually quite reassuring. The world would be very strange if our time travel simulation worked every time. Relativity and all the theories on which we base our understanding of our universe would go out the window. We are not a time travel machine, but a model of quantum mechanics.” We recommend a deep dive into the basics. These simulations don’t allow you to go back and change your past, but they do allow you to create a better tomorrow by solving yesterday’s problems today.“said Arvidsson-Shukur.

Did you like the content? Stay up to date with more curiosity about quantum mechanics at TecMundo. If you want, see how the wormhole was simulated on a quantum computer for the first time.