At that time, Einstein, the father of relativity, Bohr, De Broglie, Schrodinger and Heisenberg, who are known as popes in academic circles, discovered Pauli of uncertainty principle and Pauli of incompatibility principle, and all the great gods in physics circles gathered together. As representatives of the two factions, Bohr and Einstein collided with each other.
"It's like the next game of chess. Einstein can always come up with new examples." Erenfest described the argument between Bohr and Einstein to his students ... Erenfest came up with several appropriate metaphors: "Bohr kept looking for tools from the smoke of philosophy to crush each other's examples one after another; On the other hand, Einstein is like a spring dog in a doll box. Every morning, he jumps out of the box happily. Ah, this fierce battle is really hard to buy! "
Entanglement: an interesting history of quantum mechanics
The two Suwei meetings left a series of wonderful debates, and there was more than one photo of Zhang Zhengui. The argument continues. However, only three years later, the Nazis came to power. At that time, Germany was a well-deserved science center, and many great gods who attended the Suwei conference were closely related to the German academic circle. What fate will the development of quantum mechanics face? What happened to the scientists involved?
Einstein: Going to the New World to Continue the Frontier 193 1 February, on the boat bound for Pasadena, Einstein stared at the flying seagulls. He wrote in his travel diary: "Today, I made an important decision to give up my post in Berlin. Since then, seagulls have been flying with ships all their lives. They are my new colleagues. "
Entanglement: an interesting history of quantum mechanics
Before the Nazis came to power, Einstein, who had already become an academician of the Prussian Academy of Sciences, went to the United States.
Facts have proved that his choice is correct. 1933, Hitler's stormtroopers broke into Einstein's home in Germany. If he doesn't leave, the consequences will be unimaginable. In a letter to Born, Einstein said, "In Germany, I was upgraded to an' evil monster' and all my property was taken away. But in any case, these properties will not belong to me forever, and I can only comfort myself with this idea. "
Of course, Einstein will not be unhappy all the time, nor will he "wander for the rest of his life", but he will join the newly established Princeton Institute for Advanced Studies. He is still active in thinking and loves his friends. He not only resumed his correspondence with old friends, but also made many young people, including Godel, a philosophical genius, Bohm, who contributed to the next stage of quantum mechanics, and his new partners Podolski and Rosen.
1935 Physical Review published the works of Einstein, Podolski and Rosen. Can the description of physical reality in quantum mechanics be considered complete? The famous EPR paradox was put forward in an article entitled The Book of Life. This means that they once again challenge the Copenhagen school.
Schrodinger: That's how the famous kitten was born ... At the banquet after the award ceremony, Schrodinger ended his toast like this: "I hope to come back soon ... not to the celebration hall where colorful flags are flying. In my suitcase, there won't be so many formal dresses, but two long skis on my shoulders and a canvas bag on my back. "
Entanglement: an interesting history of quantum mechanics
1933, Heisenberg came to Stockholm to receive the delayed 1932 Nobel Prize in Physics. Schrodinger also came here with Dirac to receive the Nobel Prize in Physics. Not long ago, he just settled in Oxford University. Schrodinger himself is not Jewish, but for moral reasons, he decided to leave Berlin University.
Of course, after meeting old friends at the ceremony of 1933, Schrodinger is also concerned about academic progress. 1935, EPR paradox was published, and letters of scientists shuttled between Europe and America. Throughout the summer, there are countless letters about EPR between Einstein and Schrodinger, between Schrodinger and Pauli, between Pauli and Heisenberg, and between Heisenberg and Bohr, sometimes as many as three letters a day.
The paradox of EPR made Schrodinger think a lot. Soon, he wrote an article about EPR paradox, which was published in Natural Science. In fact, this is the most famous (or should I say "the most out of the circle") paper in Schrodinger's life.
The kitten that everyone knows, the kitten that died and lived in the box, is exactly the example of "superposition" cited by Schrodinger in this paper. Schrodinger regarded the kitten as a "god beast" and helped Einstein.
Heisenberg: The unsolved mystery of Copenhagen Heisenberg believes that "political change will happen independently and will not destroy Gottingen's physics at all." He believes that "they" can realize this duality, just like duality in quantum physics. And "with the passage of time, ugliness will be separated from beauty", and politics will no longer oppress physics.
Entanglement: an interesting history of quantum mechanics
Heisenberg stayed in Germany, hoping to keep the lifeline of science for the motherland in a special period. However, the development of the situation seems to be beyond his expectation-the Nazi government asked Heisenberg to be responsible for Germany's nuclear weapons research and development.
194 1 year, the Germans have occupied Denmark, but Bohr, a professor at the University of Copenhagen, did not leave. This year, Heisenberg came to Denmark and had a talk with the Boers. No one knows the content of this conversation. This is the "mystery of Copenhagen".
Some people say that Heisenberg knew the inhumanity of the Nazis, and he promised Bohr that he would slow down the progress and prevent Germany from developing nuclear weapons. It is also said that Heisenberg was completely lost at that time and hoped Bohr would take refuge in Germany and work with him for the Nazis. The truth has sunk into the long river of history, but we know that Bohr went to Switzerland two years later, and Germany did not develop nuclear weapons first.
We can't ask Heisenberg whether he regrets staying in Germany, but during the period when the EPR paradox was published, Heisenberg wrote some meaningful words to his mother: "In this small scientific field, there is great future value, and I am very satisfied with it. This is the only thing I know to do in this completely chaotic world. The outside world is really ugly, but this work is so wonderful. "
Pauli: Unusual Swiss years and a series of blows have made him depressed and addicted to alcohol all day. Through "understanding psychological problems" and "unique function of spirit", he finally recovered. Just like in 1934 10, Pauli wrote a letter to his friend and assistant Ralph Kronig telling him about it, and he signed it "Your old friend who is willing to be reborn: Pauli".
Entanglement: an interesting history of quantum mechanics
Pauli worked at the University of G? ttingen and the University of Hamburg. In the years between the Solvey conferences, he went to Switzerland and joined the Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich. When many colleagues were busy escaping from the chaos, Paulie happened to stay in a calm place and temporarily avoided all kinds of troubles.
However, the troubles in life have found Pauli. His mother committed suicide, his father remarried soon, and his new wife eloped. A series of blows broke him down. However, Pauli made a colleague, and this friend who specializes in psychology helped him out of the trough of his life. He is the famous carl jung.
1934, Pauli and franca bertram tied the knot. Although Pauli's incompatibility principle is not put forward here, the years in Zurich are of unusual significance to Pauli personally.
1935, Pauli, who has been thoroughly remoulded, set off from Switzerland and went to the United States. He will become a scholar at Princeton Institute for Advanced Studies and receive his Nobel Prize in Physics ten years later. In the second year after winning the prize, Pauli returned to the Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich and settled down in Switzerland until his death.
Birth: Although the Nobel Prize came late, it was already three o'clock in the cold morning when the train left their shelter in Seville, Italy. Born looked at the stars outside the window. His son Gustav curled up in his seat and fell asleep. Tracy's furry dark brown head rested on Born's knee. As the terrible 1933 draws to a close, he feels that he is the only sober soul around him. The illusion of yellow flowers blooming appeared in his mind. "Now I know how pleasant it is to walk and climb mountains near the rainforest. ...
Entanglement: an interesting history of quantum mechanics
1933 In order to avoid persecution, Jewish scientist Born took his family to the picturesque town of Seva, and then went to England from Seva.
Prior to this, the University of G? ttingen was born's academic home. He received his doctorate and taught here for more than ten years, and put forward the probability explanation of wave function, which provided a key link for the landing of Schrodinger equation. This is precisely related to the core of the dispute between the two factions at the Solvi meeting. But now the situation is grim, even if you don't give up, you must leave.
Among the scientists of the same period, Born seems to be a particularly low-key one. His best friend Einstein, his teacher Hilbert, his former assistants Heisenberg and Pauli all seem to be more famous than him. After leaving Germany, Born joined Cambridge University and Edinburgh University to continue his academic career. 1953, after retiring in Bonn, he returned to Germany and retired in Bad Pappert, a small town near G? ttingen.
1954, born finally won the nobel prize in physics for his probabilistic interpretation of wave functions. At this time, nearly 30 years have passed since the publication of this achievement.
Bohr: Respectable opponent, sincere friend. In Copenhagen, the morning after Bohr finished reading this article (introducing EPR paradox), he stepped into the door of the research room with great interest. He waved in one hand and hummed in the other: "Podolski! O Podolski, Io Podolski, Sio Podolski, Asio Podolski, Basio Podolski! "
Entanglement: an interesting history of quantum mechanics
Shortly after the publication of EPR paradox, Bohr also published an article in Physical Review, entitled "Can the description of physical reality in quantum mechanics be considered complete?" This is another response from Einstein.
Einstein went to America from Germany, while Bohr went to Sweden from Denmark. The argument between them seems endless. As for quantum mechanics, the two great men failed to convince each other all their lives.
They are old rivals and old friends. 1948, Bohr wrote a congratulatory message for Einstein's 70th birthday. He used this speech to review the argument between them. Bohr will not give in to the truth he believes, but his words are full of appreciation for this colleague and cherish this friendship.
Bohr died in 1962. He left two sketches on the blackboard, recording his thoughts the night before. The first picture looks like a spiral staircase-Riemann surface-which is Bohr's favorite metaphor of linguistic vagueness. The second sketch, almost oscillating with chalk lines, is Einstein's photon box (presented at the sixth Solvey Conference).
Conclusion In addition to them, there are Dirac who came to Germany from England and returned to England soon, De Broglie who survived the occupation of France and Germany, Planck who unfortunately lost his son in Germany, and Erenfest who died with his son in 1933 ... When people gradually walked out of the shadow of war, the 20th century was half over, the gods were already aging, and the debate at Solvi Conference was still inconclusive.
Fortunately, the new generation has grown up. 1952, Einstein was over 70 years old, and Bohr entered the last decade of his life. 1928 john bell was still a student in his twenties. He will put forward an important inequality in ten years, which will be the key to end the dispute between the two factions.
Of course, the legend of quantum mechanics will not end there, and Bell is not the only newcomer who continues to write legends. He has many companions.