The role of geometric analysis in interferometer design and optimization for gravitational quantum entanglement
- 1Institute for Research in Fundamental Sciences (IPM)
Abstract
The pursuit of a quantum theory of gravity, aiming to unify general relativity and quantum mechanics, remains one of the most enduring challenges in physics. Because of the extreme energy scales associated with the Planck regime, direct experimental evidence for quantum gravity remains elusive. However, recent proposals suggest that quantum entanglement between two massive particles may provide a pathway to probe the quantum nature of gravity. In this study, we examine the interferometer geometries proposed in these works, with particular attention to the commonly used approximation that neglects phase contributions from the specific segments of the particle trajectories. Our analysis shows that this approximation can lead to incorrect predictions and, in certain parameter regimes, to null results where entanglement would otherwise be expected. We derive exact solutions that incorporate the full particle trajectories and demonstrate that the vertical arms can significantly affect the accumulated phase. Crucially, we identify configurations in which the induced entanglement vanishes entirely, a feature missed by simplified treatments. These findings show that accounting for the full interferometer geometry is not merely a refinement, but is essential for accurately assessing gravity-induced entanglement.
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BibTeX
@article{maleki2026role,
title = {{The role of geometric analysis in interferometer design and optimization for gravitational quantum entanglement}},
author = {Alireza Maleki},
journal = {The European Physical Journal C},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1140/epjc/s10052-026-16455-9},
url = {https://link.springer.com/article/10.1140/epjc/s10052-026-16455-9},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - The role of geometric analysis in interferometer design and optimization for gravitational quantum entanglement
AU - Alireza Maleki
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/20
JO - The European Physical Journal C
DO - 10.1140/epjc/s10052-026-16455-9
UR - https://link.springer.com/article/10.1140/epjc/s10052-026-16455-9
AB - The pursuit of a quantum theory of gravity, aiming to unify general relativity and quantum mechanics, remains one of the most enduring challenges in physics. Because of the extreme energy scales associated with the Planck regime, direct experimental evidence for quantum gravity remains elusive. However, recent proposals suggest that quantum entanglement between two massive particles may provide a pathway to probe the quantum nature of gravity. In this study, we examine the interferometer geometries proposed in these works, with particular attention to the commonly used approximation that neglects phase contributions from the specific segments of the particle trajectories. Our analysis shows that this approximation can lead to incorrect predictions and, in certain parameter regimes, to null results where entanglement would otherwise be expected. We derive exact solutions that incorporate the full particle trajectories and demonstrate that the vertical arms can significantly affect the accumulated phase. Crucially, we identify configurations in which the induced entanglement vanishes entirely, a feature missed by simplified treatments. These findings show that accounting for the full interferometer geometry is not merely a refinement, but is essential for accurately assessing gravity-induced entanglement.
SN - 1434-6044
SN - 1434-6052
ER -