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Atomic physics

Quantum theory verified by experiment

Nature volume 545, pages 293–294 (2017)Cite this article

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Systems of quantum objects can be characterized by the correlations between the objects. A technique that precisely measures even the most delicate of these correlations allows models of quantum systems to be tested. See Letter p.323

The laws of nature are inferred through the observation of correlations, which distil information about the properties of physical systems. Such correlations can be determined by studying systems in their natural state, or by performing controlled experiments in which certain quantities are deliberately manipulated. Observing correlations in quantum systems is challenging because quantum objects are fundamentally altered by the process of taking measurements, and available measurement tools do not probe the quantities of interest. But on page 323, Schweigler et al.1 report a method that overcomes these problems and allows correlations to be measured for a quantum system comprising thousands of rubidium atoms at ultracold (nanokelvin-scale) temperatures. The authors show that this system is accurately described by a mathematical framework called the sine-Gordon quantum field theory2, confirming a previous proposal3. Crucially, their technique could be applied to many types of quantum system — including those that have strong interactions, in which the underlying physics is not well established4.

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Figure 1: Observing correlations in a quantum system.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. the Joint Quantum Institute, National Institute of Standards and Technology and the University of Maryland, Gaithersburg, 20899–8424, Maryland, USA

    Ian B. Spielman

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  1. Ian B. Spielman
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Correspondence to Ian B. Spielman.

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Spielman, I. Quantum theory verified by experiment. Nature 545, 293–294 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1038/545293a

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