Core Viewpoint - Chinese scientists have made significant progress in quantum research, successfully demonstrating a thought experiment proposed by Einstein and Bohr in 1927, thereby resolving a long-standing debate in quantum mechanics [1][8]. Group 1: Research Achievements - The research team from the University of Science and Technology of China, led by Professors Pan Jianwei, Lu Zhaoyang, and Chen Mingcheng, utilized a single atom trapped by optical tweezers to faithfully realize the "recoil slit" quantum interference thought experiment [1]. - The experiment observed the gradual change in interference contrast of atomic momentum, proving the complementarity principle under the Heisenberg limit and showcasing a continuous transition from quantum to classical [1][8]. - The results were published in the journal Physical Review Letters and received special coverage in the Physics section of the American Physical Society [1]. Group 2: Experimental Methodology - The key to achieving this thought experiment was measuring an effective recoil signal, which required the momentum uncertainty of the slit to be smaller than the impact momentum of the photon [3][5]. - The research group developed the most sensitive "movable slit" under quantum limit conditions by using a single rubidium atom as the movable slit and cooling it to the three-dimensional motion ground state [5]. - The experiment involved actively controlling the atomic fluorescence interference path to a nanometer level, ensuring stable interference [7]. Group 3: Observations and Implications - The experiment demonstrated that as the optical trap deepened, the spatial confinement of the atom increased, leading to a higher overlap of the atomic momentum wave function after photon recoil, which improved the interference contrast [7]. - The team also observed a decrease in interference contrast due to classical noise from atomic heating, which was calibrated and removed, aligning the experimental data with the ideal quantum limit scenario [7][8]. - This work not only realized Einstein's thought experiment but also laid the groundwork for advanced quantum technologies, including large-scale neutral atom arrays and quantum error correction coding [8].
终结爱因斯坦与玻尔世纪之辩!我国科学家取得量子研究新进展
Guan Cha Zhe Wang·2025-12-03 12:29