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emarti
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Theoretically, any superposition can be experimentally realized. Experimentally, most can't. The fundamental reason is that a system must be decoupled from its environment so as not to decohere, yet still coupled strongly to an extremely well-calibrated apparatus to generate the superposition. I would guess the 'advanced information' for the 2012 Nobel Prize would be a good starting point, since this issue was so central for both Haroche and Wineland.

SuperpositionsAs a very rough experimental summary, superpositions of two-level systems has been seen in a huge number of systems, from charge or flux states in qubits to magnetic or electronic states in atomsof semiconductor impurities. A general superpositions on the order of up to maybe half a dozen states has been realized in a few systems, namely. The systems that leap to mind are nuclear spins in a molecule, internal spins in an atom, the spin/electronic state of a chain of ions, momentum state of a free-falling aotm, or the polarization and spatial mode of one (or several) photons. For instance, superpositions such as $a|0\rangle + b |2\rangle$ can be made with photons, where $|n\rangle$ is the photon numbers.

For a large number of particles, very particular superpositions can be made. For example, spin squeezing has been observed for probably hunderds to thousands of atoms, but a general superposition state of so many atoms is beyond current experiments. That, in a word, is why it's hard to build a quantum computer.

To answer the broader question, superpositions are very useful to know about and understand, even if they're very challenging to make.

Theoretically, any superposition can be experimentally realized. Experimentally, most can't.

Superpositions of two-level systems has been seen in a huge number of systems, from charge or flux states in qubits to magnetic or electronic states in atoms. A general superpositions on the order of up to maybe half a dozen states has been realized in a few systems, namely nuclear spins in a molecule, internal spins in an atom, the spin/electronic state of a chain of ions, or the polarization and spatial mode of one (or several) photons. For instance, superpositions such as $a|0\rangle + b |2\rangle$ can be made with photons, where $|n\rangle$ is the photon numbers.

For a large number of particles, very particular superpositions can be made. For example, spin squeezing has been observed for probably hunderds to thousands of atoms, but a general superposition state is beyond current experiments.

To answer the broader question, superpositions are very useful to know about and understand, even if they're very challenging to make.

Theoretically, any superposition can be experimentally realized. Experimentally, most can't. The fundamental reason is that a system must be decoupled from its environment so as not to decohere, yet still coupled strongly to an extremely well-calibrated apparatus to generate the superposition. I would guess the 'advanced information' for the 2012 Nobel Prize would be a good starting point, since this issue was so central for both Haroche and Wineland.

As a very rough experimental summary, superpositions of two-level systems has been seen in a huge number of systems, from charge or flux states in qubits to electronic states of semiconductor impurities. A general superpositions on the order of up to maybe half a dozen states has been realized in a few systems. The systems that leap to mind are nuclear spins in a molecule, internal spins in an atom, the spin/electronic state of a chain of ions, momentum state of a free-falling aotm, or the polarization and spatial mode of one (or several) photons.

For a large number of particles, very particular superpositions can be made. For example, spin squeezing has been observed for probably hunderds to thousands of atoms, but a general superposition state of so many atoms is beyond current experiments. That, in a word, is why it's hard to build a quantum computer.

To answer the broader question, superpositions are very useful to know about and understand, even if they're very challenging to make.

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emarti
  • 1.8k
  • 9
  • 9

Theoretically, any superposition can be experimentally realized. Experimentally, most can't.

Superpositions of two-level systems has been seen in a huge number of systems, from charge or flux states in qubits to magnetic or electronic states in atoms. A general superpositions on the order of up to maybe half a dozen states has been realized in a few systems, namely nuclear spins in a molecule, internal spins in an atom, the spin/electronic state of a chain of ions, or the polarization and spatial mode of one (or several) photons. For instance, superpositions such as $a|0\rangle + b |2\rangle$ can be made with photons, where $|n\rangle$ is the photon numbers.

For a large number of particles, very particular superpositions can be made. For example, spin squeezing has been observed for probably hunderds to thousands of atoms, but a general superposition state is beyond current experiments.

To answer the broader question, superpositions are very useful to know about and understand, even if they're very challenging to make.