THIS year, the Nobel prize in physics has been awarded jointly to three scientists — Alain Aspect of France, John F. Clauser of the United States and Anton Zeilinger of Austria — for their pioneering experimental work on entanglement.

Just like a ballet originating from different dancers performing together, the connection between particles, such as a pair of photons or electrons, gives rise to an interesting phenomenon called quantum entanglement. The entangled particles remain linked even when detached by considerably larger distances. Entanglement is considered primary for future quantum technologies, such as quantum computing, with the ultimate goal of achieving an enormous speed compared to any up-to-date computer.

The question of entangled pair was answered by the presence of hidden variables that instruct the particles for connectedness. Some six decades ago, a mathematical inequality — the Bell inequality —stated that experimentation has certain limitations. Nevertheless, the experiments by the three latest Nobel scientists have established the violation of Bell inequalities, and thus the dream of ‘thinking and happening’ may be realised soon.

There is a strong need to highlight these aspects among relevant university students to update them with the latest development in such a hi-tech field. A special focus on curriculum revision is also needed, as the basic sciences are badly ignored in many engineering institutions. Engineering and technology are the craftsmanship of basic science. The technological revolution is possible with a better understanding of physics and chemistry learned/taught logically and rationally.

Dr Intikhab Ulfat
Karachi

Published in Dawn, November 9th, 2022