Physicists Discover the ‘Kings and Queens of Quantumness’
Extreme quantum states.
By Adam Mann | Live Science ContributorNovember 17, 2020 | Is that light particle more like a ball careening through space, or more of a smeary mess that is everywhere at once?
(Image: © Mark Garlick/Science Photo Library/Getty)The answer depends on whether the absurd laws of subatomic particles or the deterministic equations that govern larger objects hold more sway. Now, for the first time, physicists have found a way to mathematically define the degree of quantumness that anything — be it particle, atom, molecule or even a planet — exhibits. The result suggests a way to quantify quantumness and identify “the most quantum states” of a system, which the team calls the “Kings and Queens of Quantumness.”
In addition to furthering our understanding of the universe, the work could find applications in quantum technologies such as gravitational wave detectors and ultra-precise measurement devices.
