IIT Guwahati's groundbreaking study cracks quantum nature of gravity
A team of researchers from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Guwahati and the University of Stellenbosch in South Africa, are making significant strides in understanding the quantum nature of gravity. The groundbreaking study is led by Dr. Bibhas Ranjan Majhi from IIT Guwahati's Department of Physics, and Dr. Partha Nandi from the University of Stellenbosch. Their research focuses on a phenomenon known as gravity-induced entanglement (GIE), which could potentially reconcile general relativity and quantum mechanics.
Research aims to understand gravity at microscopic scales
The primary objective of the research is to comprehend how gravity behaves at incredibly small scales, such as those of atoms and subatomic particles. This is where existing theories begin to falter. The study takes a unique approach by examining how gravity might lead to entanglement. It is a quantum mechanics phenomenon where two particles become interconnected in such a way that the state of one influences the other, irrespective of their separation distance.
Theoretical framework connects quantum oscillator with gravitational waves
Dr. Majhi explained their research, stating, "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." He further added that their results show that while classical gravitational waves do not create entanglement, the quantum version of these waves do at the second order of gravitational perturbation.
Implications of research on understanding cosmic mysteries
The implications of this research are far-reaching. If gravity-induced entanglement can be detected via gravitational wave detectors, it could offer the first evidence that gravity operates at a quantum level. Such a discovery could unlock other cosmic mysteries, like the nature of dark matter and dark energy — two enigmatic components that make up most of the universe but are still poorly understood.
