The production and breakdown of the entanglement in fragment atoms following molecular dissociation

2018 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 15K05381
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Physical chemistry
• Research Institution: Tokyo Institute of Technology
• Principal Investigator: Kouchi Noriyuki 東京工業大学, 理学院, 教授 (50161873)
• Project Period (FY): 2015-04-01 – 2019-03-31
• Keywords: もつれ / 角度相関 / 二電子励起状態

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The principal investigator of this research has theoretically shown that entangled pairs of atoms are produced through dissociation of diatomic molecules. According to the investigation, the entanglement originates from the symmetry properties that the atom-pairs possess. It is hence an interesting subject to identify electronic states of the atom-pairs and to substantiate the production of entangled pairs of fragment atoms, subject which is, according to the investigation, achieved with measuring angular correlation functions of a pair of fluorescence photons emitted by a pair of fragment atoms.
In the present research project the angular correlation function of a pair of Lyman-α photons emitted by a pair of 2p atoms is measured in photodissociation of hydrogen molecules and the electronic state of 2p atom-pairs is identified, state which turn out to be an entangled superposition between a singlet state and a triplet state.

Free Research Field

反応物理化学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

もつれは、量子力学の根本であり、昨今では、量子計算の資源として盛んに研究が行なわれている。もつれた粒子系を作るためには、高度な制御技術を使用しなければならないと信じられてきた。しかしながら、本研究代表者は、二原子分子が解離すると、それが本来有している対称性のために、もつれた原子ペアが自発的に生成することを理論的に示した。本研究では、水素分子の光解離において、もつれた2p原子ペアが、自発的に生成することを、Lyman-α光子ペアの角度相関測定により実証した。