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European Journal of Physics

Quantum entanglement, spin-1/2 and the Stern–Gerlach experiment

G. B. Roston, M. Casas, Angel Ricardo Plastino, Angel Ricardo Plastino

Published May 25, 2005• 24 citations
Publisher

Abstract

Basic aspects of quantum entanglement are illustrated in connection with the two-component wavefunction description of spin-1/2 particles. In particular, the time evolution of entanglement in the Stern–Gerlach experiment is analysed in detail.
DOI
10.1088/0143-0807/26/4/012

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Most textbooks introduce the concept of spin by presenting the Stern-Gerlach experiment with the aid of Newtonian atomic trajectories. However, to understand how both spatial and spin degrees of freedom evolve over time and how the latter influence experimental outcomes, it is essential to employ a quantum approach. In this paper, we offer two simple methods, the Baker-Campbell-Hausdorff formula and the direct integration of the Schrödinger equation in an interaction picture, to determine the corresponding evolution operator. We not only provide an interpretation of the individual terms within this operator but also establish connections with semiclassical calculations, when feasible. Moreover, we compute the wave function and touch upon the concept of position-spin entanglement to illustrate how a full quantum description of the Stern-Gerlach experiment can open doors to topics like quantum measurement and nonlocality.
We analyze a coincidence Stern-Gerlach measurement often discussed in connection with the derivation and illustration of Bell's theorem. The treatment is based on our recent analysis of the original Stern-Gerlach experiment (PCCP, 14, 1677‐1684 (2012)), where it is concluded that it is necessary to include a spin relaxation process to account for the experimental observations. We consider two limiting cases of a coincidence measurement using both an analytical and a numerical description. In on limit relaxation effects are neglected. In this case the correlation between the two spins present in the initial state is conserved during the passage through the magnets. However, at exit the z coordinate along the magnetic field gradient is randomly distributed between the two extreme values. In the other limit T2 relaxation is assumed to be fast relative to the time of flight through the magnet. In this case the z coordinate takes one of two possible values as observed in the original Stern‐Gerlach experiment. Due to the presence of a relaxation process involving transfer of angular momentum between particle and magnet the initially entangled spin state changes character leading to a loss of correlation between the two spins. In the original derivations of Bell's theorem based on a coincidence Stern‐Gerlach setup one assumes both a perfect correlation between the spins and only two possible values for the z‐coordinate on exit. According to the present calculations one can satisfy either of these conditions but not both simultaneously.
Quantum Entanglement-one of the weirdest and most exciting aspects of quantum mechanics. Two or more particles become entangled in a way that if the state of one of the particles is measured, then instantaneously the state of another particle is determined even if they are far apart from one another. The content of this paper explores the details of quantum entanglement: where it came from, what the basic principles are, what experiments support this notion, and what experiments we use to study entanglement. The trends of the data are laid out and what it signifies. From here, I then move to what effects quantum entanglement will have on quantum computing, cryptography and communication. I will attempt to justify my arguments through thirteen published academic sources prior to 2019.
We give a simple example of the tight connection between entanglement and coherence for pure bipartite systems showing the double role played by entanglement; it allows for the creation of superpositions of macroscopic objects but at the same time makes subsystems lose their quantum mechanical coherence. For this we study the time evolution of the spin coherence in the Stern-Gerlach (SG) experiment. We also show that, contrary to the naive intuition, the spin coherence is lost before the two beams become separated in the spatial coordinates.