A new study aimed to understand gravity’s behavior at incredibly small scales and introduced an innovative method to explore gravity’s quantum aspects using a novel theoretical framework.
The study, which was done in collaboration with scientists from the Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati and the University of Stellenbosch, South Africa, has delved into one of the most profound mysteries in physics—the quantum nature of gravity.
Their model focuses on gravity-induced entanglement (GIE), which proposes that gravitational forces may create this quantum connection under certain conditions, revealing a quantum aspect of gravity. This phenomenon could connect two essential pillars: general relativity and quantum mechanics.
Scientists mainly connected a non-relativistic two-dimensional quantum oscillator detector with linearly polarized gravitational waves (GWs), which leverages quantum properties inherent in gravitational waves to observe GIE.
This approach sidesteps the limitations of classical communication methods and explores whether quantized gravitational waves can induce entanglement.
Dr. Bibhas Ranjan Majhi, Associate Professor, Dept. of Physics at IIT Guwahati, said, “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.”
As the model adheres to the “event” and the “system” localities, the detected GIE is a robust indicator of gravity’s quantum nature.
As the model adheres to the “event” and the “system” localities, the detected GIE is a robust indicator of gravity’s quantum nature.
This research has important implications. If we can spot GIE using gravitational wave detectors, it might be the first proof that gravity works at the quantum level. This discovery could help us understand other cosmic puzzles, like dark matter and energy, which make up most of the universe but remain mysterious.
Journal Reference:
- Partha Nandi and Bibhas Ranjan Majhi. Unveiling gravity’s quantum fingerprint through gravitational waves. Physics Letters B. DOI: 10.1016/j.physletb.2024.138988
