Experts move one step closer to demystifying the quantum world

The quantum world is notoriously complex, its multiple layers and miniscule components eluding standard analytical approaches.

One of the principles underpinning many of the mind-boggling quantum phenomena states that there is an intrinsic limit to the precision with which we can simultaneously know certain pairs of properties of a quantum system, which are referred to as being 'complementary'.

For example, the more precisely you know the position of a particle, the less precisely you can know its speed, and vice versa. In fact, the more precisely one of such properties is determined, the less certain we can be about the corresponding property – knowing the precise answer in one case only increases the challenge of getting the full picture.

Getting a glimpse of the full picture then requires compromises – trading off precision in the determination of one property for more precision in that of the other. However, achieving the best possible full picture allowed by the 'trade-off' limits imposed by laws of quantum physics is a daunting task.

NowUniversity of Bristol expertsbelieve they have demonstrated a much easier way to bypass this challenge. Their work, published in the journal Optica, could have implications for the future of information security, bio-medical science and other fields of study where sophisticated advances are increasingly relying on the ability to incorporate and measure the properties of quantum systems.