Two independently-prepared identical particles can become entangled when they overlap spatially, even if there is no interaction between the particles. What is more, this entanglement can be used a resource for quantum-information proocessing – according to Rosario Lo Franco and Giuseppe Compagno at Italy’s University of Palermo.
Entanglement is a purely quantum-mechanical phenomenon that allows two or more particles to have a much closer relationship than is allowed by classical physics. While entanglement plays a crucial role in quantum-information protocols such as quantum teleportation and quantum cryptography, not all entangled states are useful as quantum resources.
One important open question is whether identical quantum particles – which are therefore indistinguishable – can be used a practical resource for quantum technologies. One problem, for example, is that identical particles cannot be addressed individually as quantum bits (qubits).
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