Quantum
hideIn physics, a quantum (plural: quanta) is an indivisible entity of a quantity that has the same units as the Planck constant and is related to both energy and momentum of elementary particles of matter (called fermions) and of photons and other bosons. The word comes from the Latin "quantus", for "how much." Behind this, one finds the fundamental notion that a physical property may be "quantized", referred to as "quantization". This means that the magnitude can take on only certain discrete numerical values, rather than any value, at least within a range. There is a related term of quantum number.
A photon is often referred to as a "light quantum". The energy of an electron bound to an atom (at rest) is said to be quantized, which results in the stability of atoms, and of matter in general. But these terms can be a little misleading, because what is quantized is this Planck's constant quantity whose units can be viewed as either energy multiplied by time or momentum multiplied by distance.
Usually referred to as quantum "mechanics", it is regarded by virtually every professional physicist as the most fundamental framework we have for understanding and describing nature at the infinitesimal level, for the very practical reason that it works. It is "in the nature of things", not a more or less arbitrary human preference.
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News tagged with quantum
Researcher studies the universe through quantum electrodynamics
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(PhysOrg.com) -- Fundamental constants, such as the standards for length and mass, are a given in our society. However, research has shown that these constants might be changing slightly with the expansion of the universe.
Proposed Spacetime Structure Could Provide Hints for Quantum Gravity Theory
Dec 16, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- Spacetime, which consists of three dimensions of space and one time dimension, is such a large, abstract concept that scientists have a very difficult time understanding and defining it. Moreover, ...
Google Collaborates with D-Wave on Possible Quantum Image Search
Dec 15, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- Always on the cutting edge of new computing technologies, Google has recently announced that it is investigating the use of quantum computing schemes to achieve faster image recognition rates. ...
Physicists lay the groundwork for cooler, faster computing
Dec 14, 2009 |
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University of Toronto quantum optics researchers Sajeev John and Xun Ma have discovered new behaviours of light within photonic crystals that could lead to faster optical information processing and compact computers that ...
AOptix Technologies and NuCrypt demonstrate physical-layer quantum encryption
Dec 14, 2009 |
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AOptix Technologies, a leading edge developer of ultra-high bandwidth laser communication solutions, and NuCrypt, a provider of technology for ultra-high security over optical communication networks, disclosed today the recent ...
Physics rules network dynamics
Dec 11, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- When it comes to the workings of the Web, the brain, or a social network, physics finds universal truths.
Magnetic field measurements of the human heart at room temperature
Dec 11, 2009 |
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A new optical sensor developed by the American National Institute of Standards and Technology was successfully tested by the Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (Germany) in the "magnetically best shielded ...
Argonne scientists to control attractive force for nanoelectromechanical systems
Dec 10, 2009 |
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Scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy's Argonne National Laboratory are developing a way to control the Casimir force, a quantum mechanical force, which attracts objects when they are only hundred nanometers apart.
Does weak equivalence break down at the quantum level?
Dec 08, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- One of the givens in physics is the weak equivalence principle. This principle has been considered solid since Einstein proposed that it is not possible to detect the difference between uniform acceleration ...
Metamaterials could reduce friction in nanomachines
Nanotechnology / Nanomaterials
Dec 07, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- Nanoscale machines expected to have wide application in industry, energy, medicine and other fields may someday operate far more efficiently thanks to important theoretical discoveries concerning the manipulation ...
Scientists build 'single-atom transistor'
Dec 06, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- Researchers from Helsinki University of Technology (Finland), University of New South Wales (Australia), and University of Melbourne (Australia) have succeeded in building a working transistor, ...
Fine-tuned: A wholly new approach to tuning a laser's frequency
Dec 04, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- For more than 30 years, scientists have been trying to harness the power of terahertz radiation. Tucked between microwaves and infrared rays on the electromagnetic spectrum, terahertz rays ...
Physicist Jack Harris Is Honored by DARPA as One of Nation's 'Rising Stars'
Dec 04, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- Jack Harris, an associate professor of physics, has received one of this year's Young Faculty Awards (YFA) from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). He is one of 33 "rising stars" across ...
Wizard at circuits, physics
Dec 03, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- Donhee Ham, Gordon McKay Professor of Electrical Engineering and Applied Physics, uses his personal energy and understanding of physics to design innovative integrated circuits.
Researchers create 'synthetic magnetic fields' for neutral atoms
Dec 02, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- Achieving an important new capability in ultracold atomic gases, researchers at the Joint Quantum Institute, a collaboration of the National Institute of Standards and Technology and the University ...
