Nobel prize in physics awarded to pioneers of quantum information

Alex Wilkins is a writer.

They were awarded the prize for their work in quantum information science.

"I'm still kind of shocked but it's a very positive shock."

The three winners were awarded for their contributions to the field of quantum mechanics. Information could be instantly transmitted over long distances.

The real-life test of Bell's theorem was carried out by each of the winners' Experiments. If quantum mechanics is like the billiard-ball model ofNewtonian mechanics, one thing must follow another at a local scale, or particles separated by any amount of space can affect each other.

Bell wanted to measure the properties of two entangled particles in a system isolated from anything else that could affect the results and create a mathematical inequality.

The first test of Bell's inequality was conducted by John F. Clauser and his colleague Stuart J.

The first real-world example to do so at a high level of statistical accuracy implied that quantum mechanics could have non-local effects. There were a number of differences between Bell's original idea and this experiment.

In 1980, a group of people at the University of Paris-Saclay, France, were able to measure the Bell inequality again by measuring the polarisation of pairs of photons.

Before they got to the detectors, the team used a random switch to decide which photon to measure. Many physicists felt that Aspect's measurement laid to rest the theory that quantum mechanics acted locally because it ruled out the possibility of an observer having an effect.

Bell's inequality was expanded to include a state of three or more entangled particles called a GHZ state. This is a key pillar for quantum technology, which can use GHZ states to make quantum bits.

The people who paved the way for quantum information science were honoured during the press conference.

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