Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Letter
  • Published:

Randomness in quantum mechanics—nature's ultimate cryptogram?

Nature volume 318, pages 41–43 (1985)Cite this article

Abstract

Will a single atom irradiated by coherent light be equivalent to an infinite computer as regards its ability to generate random numbers? As described here, a search for unexpected patterns of order by cryptanalysis of the telegraph signal generated by the on/off time of the atom's fluorescence will provide new experimental tests of the fundamental principles of the quantum theory.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

  • Purchase on Springer Link
  • Instant access to full article PDF
Buy now

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Dehmelt, H. in Advances in Laser Spectroscopy (eds Arecchi, F. T., Strumia, F. & Walther, H.) 153–187 (Plenum, New York 1983).

    Book  Google Scholar 

  2. Phillips, W. D. Bull. Am. phys. Soc. 30, No. 4, 699 (1985).

    Google Scholar 

  3. Cook, R. J. & Kimble, H. J. Phys. Rev. Lett. 54, 1023–1026 (1985).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Hampton, R. L. T. Joint Comput. Conf. Proc. 25, 287–301 (1964).

    Google Scholar 

  5. Chaitin, G. J. J. Ass. comput. Mach. 21, 403–424 (1974).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Erber, T., Rynne, T. M., Darsow, W. F. & Frank, M. J. J. comput. Phys. 49, 394–419 (1983).

    Article  ADS  MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  7. Neuhauser, W., Hohenstatt, M., Toschek, P. E. & Dehmelt, H. Phys. Rev. A22, 1137–1139 (1980).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Freed, C. & Haus, H. A. IEEE J. Quantum Electron. QE-2, 190–195 (1966).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Silver, A. H., Phillips, R. R. & Sandell, R. D. IEEE Trans. Magn. MAG-21, 204–207 (1985).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  10. Brown, R. H. & Twiss, R. Q. Proc. R. Soc. A242, 300–324 (1957).

    ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Fano, U., Am. J. Phys. 29, 539–545 (1961).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  12. Vrehen, Q. H. F. & der Weduwe, J. J. Phys. Rev. A 24, 2857–2859 (1981).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Clauser, J. F. Phys. Rev. D 9, 853–860 (1974).

    ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Porter, R. A. & McMillan, W. G. Phys. Rev. 117, 795–800 (1960).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Wineland, D. J. & Itano, W. M. Phys. Lett. 82 A, 75–78 (1981).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. Brysk, H., Slawny, J. & Zweifel, P. F. Nuovo Cim. 73 B, 213–225 (1983).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  17. Exner, P. Open Quantum Systems and Feynman Integrals (Reidel, Dordrecht, 1984).

    MATH  Google Scholar 

  18. Albert, D. Z., Aharonov, Y. & D'Amato, S. Phys. Rev. Lett. 54, 5–7 (1985).

    Article  ADS  MathSciNet  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Narozhny, N. B., Sanchez-Mondragon, J. J. & Eberly, J. H. Phys. Rev. A 23, 236–247 (1981).

    Article  ADS  MathSciNet  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Schnorr, C. P. Zufälligkeit und Wahrscheinlichkeit-Eine algorithmische Begründung der Wahrscheinlichkeitstheorie (Springer, Berlin, 1971).

    Book  Google Scholar 

  21. Kolmogorov, A. N. Foundations of the Theory of Probability (Chelsea, New York, 1950) (German edn, 1933).

    Google Scholar 

  22. Kendall, W. S. J. J. London math. Soc. (2) 19, 378–384 (1979).

    Article  MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  23. Arnold, V. I. & Avez, A. Ergodic Problems of Classical Mechanics (Benjamin, New York, 1968).

    MATH  Google Scholar 

  24. Erber, T., Rynne, T. M. & Sklar, A. Acta phys. austriaca 53, 145–155 (1981).

    MathSciNet  CAS  Google Scholar 

  25. Deutsch, D. Proc. R. Soc. A 400, 97–117 (1985).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Author notes

  1. T. Erber

    Present address: Department of Physics, Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago, Illinois, 60616, USA

  2. S. Putterman

    Present address: Department of Physics, University of California, Los Angeles, California, 90024, USA

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Physics, University of California, Los Angeles, California, 90024, USA

    T. Erber

  2. Department of Applied Mathematics, University of Newcastle upon Tyne, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 7RU, UK

    S. Putterman

Authors
  1. T. Erber
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. S. Putterman
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Erber, T., Putterman, S. Randomness in quantum mechanics—nature's ultimate cryptogram?. Nature 318, 41–43 (1985). https://doi.org/10.1038/318041a0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/318041a0

This article is cited by

Comments

By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.

Search

Advanced search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing