GUWAHATI: In a groundbreaking collaboration, researchers from the Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati (IIT-G) and the University of Stellenbosch, South Africa, are delving into one of the most profound mysteries in physics—the quantum nature of gravity.
The research, led by Associate Professor, Department of Physics at IIT Guwahati, Dr. Bibhas Ranjan Majhi, and Dr. Partha Nandi of the University of Stellenbosch, South Africa, focusses on gravity-induced entanglement (GIE). This phenomenon has the potential to bridge two of the biggest pillars of modern science: general relativity and quantum mechanics. Their work aims to understand how gravity behaves at incredibly small scales, such as those of atoms and subatomic particles, where existing theories start to unravel.
The findings of this research have been published in the prestigious journal “Physics Letters B”. Dr. Majhi and Dr. Nandi’s research takes an innovative approach by studying how gravity might lead to entanglement, a phenomenon in quantum mechanics where two particles become linked, such that the state of one affects the other, regardless of the distance between them. The concept of gravity-induced entanglement proposes that under certain conditions, gravitational forces may create this quantum connection, revealing a quantum aspect of gravity.
Discussing the research, Dr. Majhi explained, “We have developed a theoretical framework that connects a two-dimensional quantum harmonic oscillator with gravitational waves—ripples in space-time caused by massive objects like black holes. This approach bypasses the limitations of classical communication methods and explores whether quantized gravitational waves can induce entanglement. Our findings show that while classical gravitational waves do not generate entanglement, the quantum version of these waves does, at the second order of gravitational perturbation.”
This research has far-reaching implications. If gravity-induced entanglement can be detected using gravitational wave detectors, it could provide the first evidence that gravity operates at a quantum level. Such a discovery could unlock other cosmic mysteries, such as the nature of dark matter and dark energy—two enigmatic components that make up most of the universe but are still poorly understood, stated a press release.
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