In the Quantum World, different laws govern phenomena compared to the classical world, allowing for the consideration of concepts such as time travel. A recent study proposes a Gedankenexperiment, or mental experiment, which explores the possibility of “effective travel” through the interaction between quantum particles. While no quantum particle has actually traveled back in time, the simulation presents a unique way of interacting with quantum particles that could lead to this “effective travel” according to Gizmodo.
This unique interaction is known as quantum entanglement. By understanding the properties of one entangled particle, scientists can obtain information about the other, regardless of the distance between them. For example, a change in a quantum particle on Earth that is entangled with a particle near a black hole billions of light-years away could potentially lead to a change in behavior in the distant past.
The study also explores the concept of closed time curves (CTCs) – hypothetical paths that could potentially lead back in time. In 1992, Stephen Hawking argued that such paths contradict the laws of physics, making time travel impossible. However, the authors of this recent study propose that CTCs can be modeled using quantum teleportation schemes.
The physicists involved in the Gedankenexperiment propose a model where they interact with quantum particles and obtain measurable results. Based on these outcomes, they can determine inputs that would yield optimal results. By adjusting the values of the quantum sample through entanglement, the researchers can potentially achieve better outcomes.
While the simulation for time travel has not been executed, the team shows that there is a 75% chance of experiencing a clear effect of time travel in one out of every four attempts. To address this limitation, the team suggests sending a large number of entangled photons.
David Arvidsson-Shukur, a quantum physicist from the University of Cambridge and the lead author of the study, emphasizes that the experiment described in the study seems impossible within the realm of non-quantum physics. Therefore, it appears that quantum entanglement could create situations that effectively resemble time travel.
It is important to note that the study discusses a way to simulate time travel and does not actually simulate time travel in the experiment.