Quantum gravity signals may be classical spacetime illusions, researchers say
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Researchers from Kyushu University, the University of Waterloo, and Stockholm University found that some proposed quantum gravity experiments can be explained by classical spacetime. Their framework, published in npj Quantum Information, shows quantum particles moving in ordinary gravity can mimic quantum gravity signatures. The team calls this the Relativity of Spacetime Superpositions.
Key Facts
- The study was published in npj Quantum Information by researchers from Kyushu University, the University of Waterloo, and Stockholm University.
- The framework is called the Relativity of Spacetime Superpositions.
- Associate Professor Joshua Foo of Kyushu University's Institute for Advanced Study is the lead author.
- The researchers show that scenarios described as quantum superposition of gravity can also be interpreted as quantum particles moving through ordinary gravity and spacetime.
Theoretical Framework
The researchers developed a theoretical framework showing that many situations described as a quantum superposition of gravity can also be interpreted in a very different way. In these cases, the quantum particles can remain in superpositions while moving through ordinary gravity and spacetime. Under that description, no genuinely quantum behavior of gravity is required. The team calls this idea the Relativity of Spacetime Superpositions.
Interpretation and Analogy
Associate Professor Joshua Foo of Kyushu University's Institute for Advanced Study and lead author of the study explained that some proposed experiments can be viewed from two equally valid perspectives. One interpretation describes gravity as being in a quantum superposition, while the other describes quantum particles moving in an ordinary gravitational field. The researchers compare the situation to two maps showing the same landscape using different projections. The maps may look different, yet both can describe the same underlying terrain.
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Quantum gravity signals may be classical spacetime illusions, researchers say
