New quantum state at nanonscale

October 5, 5:55 AMBirmingham Science News ExaminerPaul Hamaker

Scientists at the University of Arkansas and University of California-Los Angeles have shown that a new quantum state develops at the nanoscale at very low temperature.

Research professor Sergey Prosandeev and professor Laurent Bellaiche of the University of Arkansas and A.R. Akbarzadeh of the University of California-Los Angeles report the state, called incipient ferrotoroidics, in Physical Review Letters

Using the Star of Arkansas "super computer," the researchers performed both classical physics and quantum mechanical calculations of nanoscale behavior at low temperature. Some of the calculations take weeks with a super computer. For those who have done some quantum mechanical calculations by hand consider the lifetimes this work would take without computing.

A new quantum state called incipient ferrotoroidics was determined to exist at low temperatures at the nanoscale. In this quantum state vibrations wash out the vortex field states. This produces a state where the material is highly susceptible to toroidal movement and independent of temperature. This is considered a topological change.

This is not a fifth state of matter but a new quantum state. This state has some properties that quantum physics predicted but the change in topology was not predicted absolutely.

Applications for this development are a new form of capacitor at low temperature.
A more efficient capacitor is expected.

Is Quantum Mechanics Selectively Erasing Our Memory?

By Susannah F. Locke

In a paper published last week, MIT physicist Lorenzo Maccone hypothesizes that, yes, quantum physics is messing with our minds. The laws of physics work just as well if time is running forwards or backwards. But we all seem to experience time running in only one direction, and in the same direction as everyone else -- a mystery of physics that's yet to be solved.

So life as we observe it presents a quandary. Randomness -- or entropy -- naturally increases. A drop of food coloring in water will spread out. Heat from a pizza dissipates. But the laws of physics that govern the tiny particles that make up everything could just as well run backwards, so something doesn't jibe. Why don't we see more instances of molecules ordering themselves (sugar un-dissolving itself from my coffee, ice cubes spontaneously forming in my water) if it's just as likely according to the laws of physics?

Maccone says that we do see these events. We just don't remember them, because some quantum weirdness erases the memories. Using a bunch of math, he says that your memory and the event are in a state of quantum entanglement, and that when that state gets broken, the memory is erased.

What do you think is going on? Is time running backward sometimes? Are molecules organizing themselves behind our backs? All I know is that my brain hurts right now.