Share this page

Research project "Quantum Physics and Information with Indefinite Causal Structure" (ARC program)

One of the most deeply rooted ideas in science and in everyday life is that events take place ordered in time, with present events being caused by events in the past and in turn acting as causes for events in the future.
However, according to quantum theory, physical variables do not possess well defined values prior to being measured. For example, a particle can occupy an indefinite position in space, which resembles being at several places at once. Recently, Ognyan Oreshkov and collaborators discovered that even the causal order of events could exist in such a quantum-indefinite state. This theoretical possibility could be used for new computation and communication tasks that cannot be achieved with events occurring in a definite causal order. More fundamentally, it provides a new paradigm for quantum physics that does not assume space-time as a predefined stage, which is expected to be key for a future theory that unifies quantum mechanics with the general theory of relativity.
In this project, researchers will investigate the implications of this novel paradigm for quantum information processing and fundamental physics

Spokesperson

Ognyan Oreshkov
Centre for Quantum Information and Communication
Brussels School of Engineering

Dates

Created on September 5, 2018