Physicists have successfully created quantum superpositions, or “hot Schrödinger cat states,” in a superconducting microwave resonator. This achievement challenges the conventional wisdom that quantum effects are destroyed by high temperatures.
Erwin Schrödinger’s original thought experiment described a cat existing in two simultaneous states: alive and dead. While this is often referred to as a Schrödinger cat state, it typically involves cooling a quantum object to its ground state. However, scientists at the University of Innsbruck have now demonstrated that it’s possible to create these superpositions from thermally excited states.
The researchers used a transmon qubit in a microwave resonator and succeeded in generating the quantum superpositions at temperatures of up to 1.8 K – sixty times hotter than the ambient temperature. This breakthrough allows for the creation of highly mixed quantum states with distinct quantum properties, even in less ideal environments.
The scientists employed two special protocols to create the hot Schrödinger cat states, which were previously used to produce these states from the ground state. Their findings confirm that quantum interference can persist even at high temperatures, contradicting the conventional understanding that temperature destroys quantum effects.
This research has significant implications for the development of quantum technologies, as it reveals that it’s possible to observe and use quantum phenomena even in warmer environments. The discovery opens up new opportunities for the creation and use of quantum superpositions, particularly in nanomechanical oscillators where achieving the ground state can be challenging.
Source: https://www.sci.news/physics/hot-schrodinger-cat-states-13802.html