Quantum Coherence and Entanglement in Quantum Systems
Summary
Quantum coherence and entanglement stand as cornerstones of quantum mechanics, underpinning the superposition principle and the nonclassical correlations between spatially or functionally separated subsystems. Coherence quantifies the phase relationships within a quantum state, enabling interference phenomena and the exploitation of wave-like properties, while entanglement describes inseparable correlations that defy classical intuitions. Together, these effects facilitate diverse quantum technologies, from computing and secure communications to high-precision metrology. In many-body and open quantum systems, coherence and entanglement arise through controlled interactions, engineered nonlinearity and coupling to tailored environments. Breakthroughs in cavity quantum electrodynamics, superconducting circuits and integrated photonic platforms have enhanced the preparation, manipulation and preservation of coherent and entangled states at increasing scales and durations. Concurrently, theoretical frameworks—such as resource theories and entropy-based quantifiers—have deepened our understanding of the trade-offs between coherence, entanglement and dissipation. These advances address global challenges, including unhackable information channels and sensors operating at or beyond the quantum-noise limit. Notably, the interplay between coherence and entanglement informs the design of error-resilient protocols and illuminates quantum phase transitions, shaping future applications across materials science, fundamental physics and information processing.
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Quantum Coherence and Entanglement in Quantum Systems publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in quantum coherence and entanglement in quantum systems across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Quantum coherence: The presence of well-defined phase relations in a superposed quantum state, enabling interference effects.
Quantum entanglement: A correlation between quantum systems whereby the state of each cannot be fully described without reference to the others.
Kerr medium: An optical medium whose refractive index varies with the intensity of the incident electromagnetic field.
Concurrence: A quantitative measure of two-qubit entanglement based on the eigenvalues of a spin-flipped density matrix.
Tavis–Cummings model: A theoretical framework describing the collective interaction of multiple two-level systems with a single quantised electromagnetic mode.
References
- Entanglement and coherence in a system of two atoms in the presence of Kerr medium and field dissipation. Results in Physics (2023).
- Quantum Coherence and Total Phase in Semiconductor Microcavities for Multi-Photon Excitation. Nanomaterials (2022).
- Parity Deformed Tavis-Cummings Model: Entanglement, Parameter Estimation and Statistical Properties. Mathematics (2022).
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