04 Fundamental Quantum Phenomena

Quantum mechanics can at one level be viewed as an extremely useful operational theory for understanding the behavior of atoms, molecules and solids. The strange ideas like wave-functions and rules like the Pauli exclusion principle provide a framework for computing and predicting behavior at the atomic scale. But is there something deeper in the ideas of quantum theory and can this deeper meaning open up an even more powerful realm of application? We think the answer is unequivocally "yes" to the existence of deeper meaning to even simple experiments like double-slit diffraction of either photons or electrons - but we are just now at the threshold of employing such thought in areas like quantum computing, detection, and possibly even living processes. What experiments best reveal such deeper aspects and their potential for application?

Image source: !Original: NekoJaNekoJaVector: Johannes Kalliauer, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons