Tag Archives: Schrödingers

Why Erwin Schrödinger’s 1944 Classic ‘What is Life?’ Remains a Timeless Science Essential

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What is Life? Is It Still Impactful?

Erwin Schrödinger, a pioneer of modern quantum science, articulated in his 1944 book that scientists should contribute to their fields as a form of nobility. In What Is Life?, he invites readers to delve into the world of living organisms, moving away from the focus on inanimate atoms that brought him fame. Over approximately 90 pages, he transitions from one area of expertise to another, producing an influential work in popular science during the 20th century.

Based on a series of lectures delivered in Dublin in 1943, What Is Life? maintains a conversational tone while occasionally reflecting on deeper philosophical questions. However, Schrödinger’s core dilemma is framed within the parameters of physics: “How can phenomena occurring within living organisms be explained through physics and chemistry?”

To explore this, Schrödinger employs a physicist’s rationale. What Is Life? begins with a discussion on the minuscule and abundant building blocks of life and how they adhere to statistical physics principles. He clarifies that while physicists can derive averages from large collections, individual behavior remains unpredictable.

The laws of physics indicate that systems trend towards disorder and exhibit fluctuations. Yet, living organisms display remarkable order, akin to the intricate mechanisms of a clock. Schrödinger is captivated, noting that even minimal “genetic material” enables consistent reproduction and trait transmission, a phenomenon that poses questions in his analysis.

Written before the full understanding of DNA’s structure, Schrödinger contemplates the composition of this genetic material. Drawing from his studies on mutation inheritance and linking it to quantum concepts, he reflects on the possibilities of this genetic solidity and its quantum stability. His principal claim is that living entities require “negative entropy” to sustain order, necessitating a continual draw of organization from their environment. Schrödinger asserts that fully unraveling this enigma might demand new physics laws.

Published in 1944, What Is Life? garnered significant attention, inspiring numerous physicists to pivot towards biology. It frequently features in “best of” lists, appealing to general readers, yet chemists and biologists were less enthusiastic.

Nobel Prize laureate Max Perutz examined the extensive contemporary work that Schrödinger might have referenced for his inquiries. He noted that Schrödinger’s confusion about the regeneration of small genetic materials during cell division could have been mitigated with a better understanding of the roles of involved enzymes. Perutz also criticized the concept of negative entropy.

Recently, author Philip Ball indicated that Schrödinger might have gained deeper insight by engaging with ideas connecting entropy and information—such as Leo Szilard’s 1929 solution to Maxwell’s Demon paradox, where rising disorder is seemingly countered.

Despite valid criticisms, as a physicist, I find myself more aligned with Schrödinger’s perspective than those entrenched in modern genetics. In conversations with biophysicists, echoes of What Is Life? resound. Just last year, a researcher shared his ambitions to establish new physical laws addressing living systems. Another scholar sensibly noted, “If you’re in equilibrium, you’re dead,” capturing Schrödinger’s sentiments from the 1940s.

In 2021, biophysicist Rob Phillips at the California Institute of Technology asserted that What Is Life? should be viewed as “a manifesto on the frontiers of physics, signifying that every new phenomenon demands innovative concepts and ultimately results in new laws.” I concur. Although Schrödinger’s grasp of biology and chemistry was incomplete, his physicist’s intuition remains relevant.

Are physicists best equipped to decipher the precise mechanisms that distinguish the living from inanimate matter? It’s a philosophical question that future research may illuminate. This duality of excitement and frustration was poignantly addressed by Schrödinger over 80 years ago, grappling with the same challenges we face today.

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Source: www.newscientist.com

Revolutionary Quantum Breakthrough: Physicists Unveil Unprecedented Schrödinger’s Cat Experiment

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Researchers at the University of Oxford have developed a groundbreaking class of “cat states”—quantum superpositions created from unique, non-classical elements instead of traditional wave packets. This advancement paves the way for more robust quantum computers.

Quantum mechanics challenges classical intuitions, most famously showcased in Schrödinger’s cat, where systems exist in a superposition of states. Superpositions are critical for advancing quantum technology. Quantum “cat” states have been previously realized in harmonic oscillators, predominantly limited to Fock, displacement, or Gottsman-Kitaev-Preskill states. A different type of macroscopic superposition, where the oscillator is squeezed along orthogonal axes, had been suggested but never achieved. Zahner et al. introduced a trapped ion hybrid spin oscillator system that enables the experimental realization of these ‘brothers’ to Schrödinger’s cat. Image credit: Saner et al., doi: 10.1103/k1xk-yt42.

“Unlike classical physics, quantum mechanics permits objects to exist in multiple states simultaneously,” stated Dr. Sebastian Zahner of the University of Oxford and his research team.

“This concept is famously embodied in Schrödinger’s cat, which is imagined to be both alive and dead until observation occurs.”

“In experimental settings, physicists can create a less dramatic but highly realistic version of this phenomenon by placing atoms, light, or motion in two different quantum states simultaneously.”

“Manipulating these superpositions is vital for applications ranging from quantum computing to precise timekeeping.”

“A quintessential example is a quantum bit, or qubit, which represents a superposition of both 0 and 1. However, quantum systems can exhibit more than merely two states.”

“Quantum harmonic oscillators, which can occupy several distinct energy levels, provide even richer possibilities.”

“These quantum harmonic oscillators describe a variety of physical systems, such as light, vibrations, and confined particle motion, while creating diverse quantum superpositions.”

“A notable instance is the cat state, where an oscillator exists in a superposition of two wave packets positioned in opposite directions.”

“These wave packets, termed coherent states, closely resemble classical motion constrained by quantum mechanics.”

In their latest study, Dr. Zaner and colleagues presented a novel family of quantum superpositions.

Rather than constructing cat-like states from traditional wave packets, they devised a method to create superpositions using a broad array of components that are inherently non-classical.

For instance, in superposition of squeezed states, the quantum uncertainty is distributed differently within each component of the state.

“The experiment leveraged the motion of a single trapped ion,” the physicists reported.

“A trapped ion integrates two distinct types of quantum systems: its internal state functions like a qubit, while its motion acts as a quantum harmonic oscillator capable of inhabiting various motion states.”

“This provides a powerful platform for engineering quantum states beyond conventional qubits.”

To create these innovative states, researchers initially employed engineered interactions to entangle the ions’ internal states with different possible motion states.

Subsequent intermediate-circuit quantum measurements of internal states then projected the ion’s motion onto a particular superposition of non-classical components.

“This method equips us with the instruments to fabricate quantum superpositions in nearly any configuration,” Dr. Sanner mentioned.

This technique allows researchers to precisely control the generated states.

By modifying the experimental arrangement, they could adjust the relative sizes, rotations, and separations of the components, enabling a diverse range of exotic motion superpositions within the same trapped ion system.

The scientists also directly reconstructed the quantum states they produced.

This reconstruction revealed interference patterns and regions demonstrating Wigner negativity, confirming that the state transcends a typical classical mixture.

These characteristics affirm that the experiment achieved a genuine quantum superposition of authentically non-classical states of motion.

The authors are now collaborating with theorists to determine the precise “quantum” nature of these states.

Dr. Raghavendra Srinivas, also from the University of Oxford, expressed, “I was genuinely heartened by my colleagues’ reactions when I presented our findings.”

“We believe we are merely scratching the surface of the potential applications and the deeper understanding of these conditions.”

The team’s research paper was published in this month’s edition of Physical Review X.

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S. Zaner et al. 2026. Generation of arbitrary superpositions of non-classical quantum harmonic oscillator states. Physical Review X 16, 021049; doi: 10.1103/k1xk-yt42

Source: www.sci.news

Schrödinger’s Cat Warmed Up: A Potential Game-Changer in Quantum Physics

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Scientists have achieved a breakthrough in quantum physics, creating a “Schrodinger Cat” state at warmer temperatures than previously thought possible.

This state relies on the concept of superposition, where particles can exist in multiple states simultaneously, a key principle of quantum mechanics.

The famous thought experiment by physicist Erwin Schrodinger involving a cat in a box with a radioactive material highlights the paradoxical nature of this concept.

Physicists have managed to create real Schrodinger cat particles, where quantum objects can exist in two states simultaneously without needing to be cooled to ground state temperature.

A recent study published in the journal Advances in Science has reported the creation of quantum states at ground state temperature.

In Erwin Schrödinger’s thought experiment, cats are alive and dead at the same time. Similar to how quantum objects occupy multiple states at once – Innsbruck University/Halaldricksch

Researchers at Innsbruck University have successfully produced the Schrodinger Cat state at a temperature of 1.8 Kelvin, a relatively warm temperature for quantum experiments.

This discovery challenges the traditional belief that quantum effects are disrupted by higher temperatures and opens up new possibilities for quantum technology.

Quantum computers, which could revolutionize technology by operating in multiple states, currently require expensive cooling methods. However, this study suggests that quantum phenomena can still be observed and utilized in warmer environments.

“Our work demonstrates that quantum interactions can persist even at higher temperatures, making temperature ultimately irrelevant for certain quantum effects,” said Professor Gerhard Kirchmair, one of the researchers involved in the study.

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Source: www.sciencefocus.com

Scientists create conditions resembling a “superpositioned” Schrodinger’s cat

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The principle of quantum superposition allows the system to be prepared with two arbitrary state superpositions. A paradigmous example is the superposition of two coherent states. Superposition of such states is usually referred to as the Schrödinger cat state, but in Irwin Schrodinger’s original thought experiment, a cat-temperature-equal system system is prepared with superposition of two mixed states dominated by classical variation. Physicists at the University of Innsbruck have now managed to create the state of Hot Schrodinger cats with a superconducting microwave resonator.

Yang et al. We generated highly mixed quantum states with different quantum properties. Image credit: Innsbruck University.

SchrödingerCat states are an attractive phenomenon in quantum physics, where quantum objects exist simultaneously in two different states.

In Erwin Schrödinger’s thought experiment, it is a cat living and dead at the same time.

In real experiments, such simultaneity is seen in the positions of atoms and molecules, as well as the vibrations of electromagnetic resonators.

Previously, these analogues to Schrodinger’s thought experiments were first created by cooling quantum objects to their ground state.

In a new study, Dr. Gerhard Kirchumere and his colleagues at Innsbruck University demonstrated that it is indeed possible to create quantum superpositions from thermally excited states.

“Schrodinger also envisioned a living, namely “hot” cat in his thought experiments,” says Dr. Kirchumere, author of the study.

“We wanted to know if these quantum effects could also be produced if they didn’t start from the ‘cold’ ground state. ”

To generate the Schrödinger CAT state, researchers used a transmon Qubit with a microwave resonator.

They have succeeded in creating quantum layers at temperatures up to 1.8 k. This is 60 times the ambient temperature of the cavity.

“Our results show that it is possible to generate highly mixed quantum states with distinct quantum properties,” says Dr. Ian Yang, the first author of the study.

Scientists used two special protocols to create the state of Hot Schrodinger cats.

These protocols have been used previously to produce CAT states starting from the ground state of the system.

“It turns out that the tuned protocol also works at high temperatures and produces clear quantum interference,” said Professor Oriol Romero Isart, co-author of the study.

“This opens up new opportunities for the creation and use of quantum superpositions, for example, in nanomechanical oscillators.

“When I first mentioned our results, many of our colleagues were surprised because we usually think of temperature as a disruption to quantum effects,” says Thomas Agnius, co-author of the study.

“Our measurements confirm that quantum interference can last even at high temperatures.”

The findings could benefit quantum technology development.

“Our work reveals that quantum phenomena can be observed and used in warm, less ideal environments,” Dr. Kirchem said.

“If the system can create the interactions it needs, temperature is ultimately irrelevant.”

a paper The findings were published in the journal Advances in science.

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Ian Yang et al. 2025. Hot Schrodinger cat condition. Advances in science 11 (14); doi:10.1126/sciadv.adr4492

Source: www.sci.news