Generation of entanglement from mechanical rotation

TL;DR

This paper proposes an experimental setup using rotating Sagnac interferometers to generate and observe quantum entanglement influenced by different spacetime geometries, even at low rotation speeds like Earth's rotation.

Contribution

It introduces a novel experimental scheme to study quantum entanglement in curved spacetime using superpositions of different rotating interferometers.

Findings

Entanglement can be generated at low rotation frequencies.

The effects are observable due to Earth's rotation.

The setup provides a platform to explore quantum mechanics in curved spacetime.

Abstract

Many phenomena and fundamental predictions, ranging from Hawking radiation to the early evolution of the Universe rely on the interplay between quantum mechanics and gravity or more generally, quantum mechanics in curved spacetimes. However, our understanding is hindered by the lack of experiments that actually allow us to probe quantum mechanics in curved spacetime in a repeatable and accessible way. Here we propose an experimental scheme for a photon that is prepared in a path superposition state across two rotating Sagnac interferometers that have different diameters and thus represent a superposition of two different spacetimes. We predict the generation of genuine entanglement even at low rotation frequencies and show how these effects could be observed even due to the Earth's rotation. These predictions provide an accessible platform in which to study the role of the underlying spacetime in the generation of entanglement.