Unraveling the Quantum World: Schrodinger's Cat Thought Experiment

This is the first in a series of "Unraveling the Quantum World" with simple introductions on Quantum Science & Technology. The other three are on Max Planck & His Constant, Quantum Cryptography and Quantum Teleportation.

Schrödinger's cat thought experiment is a classic example of how quantum mechanics can be strange and counterintuitive. In the experiment, a cat is placed in a box with a radioactive atom. Until the box is opened and the cat is observed, the cat is considered to be in a state of superposition, where it is both alive and dead simultaneously.

The analogy of Schrödinger's cat to the quantum theory of waves is that in quantum mechanics, particles are described not as discrete objects, but as waves of probability. This concept shows just as the cat can be both alive and dead at once, a quantum particle can exist in a state of superposition, where it is in multiple places or have multiple properties at the same time.

Since our everyday experience is governed by classical physics, this idea of superposition may seem paradoxical & can be difficult to understand. However, in the quantum world, particles behave very differently, and the wave-like nature of particles is what allows the possibility for this kind of superposition.