Superposition lies at the heart of quantum
mechanics. Non-local "spooky action at a distance,"
as Einstein called it, is a consequence of what Schrödinger
called "entangled states." Such states promise to be
useful for unbreakable cryptography, for innovative parallel computation,
and for transferring the properties of a quantum state from a
nearby object to a distant one, i.e. "quantum teleportation."
Advances in single-photon detection and the development of bright
sources of entangled photons make it feasible to introduce their
remarkable quantum properties into the undergraduate curriculum.
With NSF support we are preparing five undergraduate laboratory
experiments that unambiguously exhibit the quantum nature of the
photon, single-photon interference, two-photon interference,
quantum erasers and Bell's inequalities. I will describe some
of these experiments and how they can acquaint undergraduates
with the surprising ramifications of superposition in quantum
mechanics.
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