Decoding Quantum Nonlocality

Entangled quantum objects can be used to network separated systems. The researchers demonstrate what is needed for nonlocal correlations, a requirement for a useful quantum

network. Credit: The Grainger College of Engineering at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign/Wesley Moore

Researchers have developed a theoretical framework that provides deeper insights into quantum nonlocality, a vital property for quantum networks to outperform classical technology. Their study unified previous nonlocality research and showed that nonlocality is achievable only through a restricted set of quantum operations. This framework could aid in evaluating the quality of quantum networks and broaden our understanding of nonlocality.

Introduction and Overview
A new theoretical study has been conducted, providing a framework for understanding nonlocality. This is a crucial characteristic that quantum networks must exhibit to perform tasks unachievable by traditional communications technology. The researchers involved clarified the concept of nonlocality, outlining the conditions necessary for establishing systems with potent quantum correlations.

Nonlocality and Quantum Computing
Published in the journal Physical Review Letters, the study adapted techniques from quantum computing theory to form a novel classification scheme for quantum nonlocality. This adaptation not only enabled researchers to merge previous studies of the concept into a single framework, but also allowed them to prove that networked quantum systems can only exhibit nonlocality if they possess a specific set of quantum features.


Eric Chitambar, a professor of electrical and computer engineering at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and the project lead, explained, “On the surface, quantum computing and nonlocality in quantum networks are different things, but our study shows that, in certain ways, they are two sides of the same coin. In particular, they require the same fundamental set of quantum operations to deliver effects that cannot be replicated with classical technology.”  READ MORE...

Wild Trees

Why do trees grow so much better in the wild than in your yard?
Paul Cappiello
Many years ago when I was a University of Illinois grad student, a local resident wrote to the department’s Cooperative Extension office with a question. After a bit of a preamble, the question emerged ... “How long do I need to compost fresh cricket manure before using it to fertilize my plants?”

Well, those of us self-appointed to the horticultural glitterati had a good laugh. I mean I had completed a four-year college curriculum in horticulture and a whole year of grad school. These silly people and their silly questions. ... Obviously, the letter writer had spent too much time in the sun. Of course what she meant to ask about was chicken manure (not an uncommon organic fertilizer), not cricket manure. Who on earth would ever amass enough cricket manure to have to worry about composting it before using it as fertilizer?  READ MORE

Chahokia Mystery

For a couple of hundred years, Cahokia was the place to be in what is now the US state of Illinois. The bustling, vibrant city was at one time home to some 15,000 people, but by the end of the 14th century it was deserted – and researchers still aren't sure why.

A new study has been able to rule out one previous idea – that deforestation and overuse of the land around Cahokia caused excessive erosion and local flooding in the area, making it less inhabitable for Native Americans.

Through an analysis of sediment cores gathered near earthen mounds in the Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site, researchers have established that the ground remained stable from Cahokia's heyday until the mid-1800s and industrial development. In other words, there was no environmental disaster.

"There's a really common narrative about land use practices that lead to erosion and sedimentation and contribute to all of these environmental consequences," says geoarchaeologist Caitlin Rankin from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. "When we actually revisit this, we're not seeing evidence of the flooding."

The mounds that the excavation site was next to are in low-lying areas and close to a creek – a prime position for any local flooding that would have happened. Yet there were no signs of sediment left behind by floods in the layers of earth.  READ MORE

https://www.sciencealert.com/the-mystery-deepens-over-why-the-lost-city-of-cahokia-was-abandoned