Even Kira's organized and tidy laboratory was a mess that day: after such a discovery and a sleepless night, there was no time to clean up. Kira stood in front of a hastily assembled council of scientists, who were seated wherever they could - on three empty chairs, on table tops and on window sills. Kira spoke in a voice that was both businesslike and excited:
- It has long been known to us that light sometimes appears as if it is traveling out of a material before reaching it. This effect was dismissed as an illusion because it was thought to be caused by the distortion of the waves by matter. - Kira tapped his finger on a graph lying on the table, on which zigzag lines crossed each other in a chaotic dance. - But we've proven that it's not an illusion. It's--" he hesitated for a moment, searching for words, "--it's an anticipation of light. The experimental material," he pointed to a small glass container containing a sample covered with a strange, iridescent iridescent film, "has the property of 'predicting' the passage of photons, creating a kind of imprint of the light stream.
There was silence in the laboratory. Dr. Petrov was usually the most disgruntled member of the board, but now he was sitting peacefully on an overturned bucket, mouth ajar, as if he were preparing to say something but kept changing his mind. Professor Ivanova was nervously adjusting her glasses, modestly hiding behind a stack of scientific journals. Semyonov climbed up on the windowsill, nodded slowly, looking like a tired owl, and spoke:
- But how, Kirill Eduardovich? - his voice was barely audible over the hum of the fans.
Kira smiled, the tiredness on his face interspersed with pride from time to time.
- We have developed a new system of quantum optics that explains this phenomenon. It's not just a "prediction", it's a real quantum prediction system, embedded in the very structure of a special material that "senses" light before it reaches it. This experience changes our whole understanding of the laws of physics. Imagine, now it is possible to create materials that predict the appearance of light waves and use it in new technologies!
Kira turned on the projector connected to the computer, and a diagram scrawled with formulas appeared on the wall.
- These graphs show measurements illustrating the prediction of the light signal, and this model explains the mechanism of the phenomenon at the quantum level. This is the so-called "tunnel effect," quantum entanglement that offers new ways to manipulate light.
One of the scientists perched on the table top made a broad gesture with his hand.
- What practical applications could there be? It's beautiful, but...
Kira seemed prepared for such a question:
- Imagine optical communication systems operating with absolutely no latency, new super-fast computers, previously unknown methods of medical diagnostics, even unconventional forms of energy. And this is just the beginning, because we are sure that the discovery will cause a real revolution in many areas of science and our lives.
Semyonov came down from the window sill, approached the table and scrutinized the sample of the mysterious material in the container. Meanwhile, Kira continued in his voice with his usual restrained passion:
- We called this tunneling effect "time negation". With the help of innovative quantum experiments we have demonstrated that "time negation" is not just a theoretical idea: it really exists in a tangible physical sense, and its study deserves more attention.
Having finally won the interest of his small audience, the young scholar began to speak in the tone of a professor at a lecture:
- Our experiments were conducted at ultra-low temperatures. We used specially designed microwave resonators, which demonstrated something much more fundamental than just theory. We recorded unusual time anomalies observed at the level of elementary particles. They manifested themselves in accelerated aging of some photons and rejuvenation, if I may say so, of others. All this happened within the same experimental cycle. And it was not just a shift in time, but a real violation of its linearity and fundamental flow.
- How can you prove it, Kirill Eduardovich? - Dr. Ivanova finally raised her voice.
- Imagine a river of time," Kira paused and decided to let the scientists digest what they had heard, satisfied with the effect he had produced, "normally time flows smoothly and evenly. "Time denial" implies such an effect, as if a whirlpool suddenly formed in a temporal river, and one part of the water suddenly flowed backwards, while the other part began to accelerate to incredible speeds. Observing the behavior of the photons, we found that some of them "went back" to the past for tiny fractions of a second, and other photons "skipped" into the future, also for very small, however, quite measurable intervals. All this happened inside one experiment with the same initial parameters. This completely refutes, in our opinion, the classical idea of time as a linear and unchanging value.
That is why my team and I have come to the conclusion that "time negation" is not a simple side effect of quantum mechanics, but a new fundamental force, perhaps even a new property of space-time, not yet fully understood by us. Now we have begun to develop more advanced measuring instruments, specifically for this experiment, capable of more accurately registering time anomalies, and most importantly, to identify the factors that cause them.
- I take it," Dr. Petrov lifted himself from his bucket, "your further research will be aimed at understanding the whole mechanism of "time negation" at the macro level?
- This is an extremely difficult task," Kira agreed, "because the slightest random deviation in the system can lead to the most unpredictable consequences. But yes, without a doubt, we intend to continue studying the quantum theory of our discovery, because its potential applications will be incredibly impressive. Imagine, perhaps accelerated study of chemical reactions, the method may help to create completely new materials with unique properties, and our boldest assumption is time travel, though on a very limited scale.
- Have you thought about ethical obstacles? - Ivanova interrupted Kira again.
- Undoubtedly, we will carefully check all possible risks that may be associated with manipulating the "negation of time". Naturally, the effects of "rejuvenation" or "aging", if uncontrolled, can lead to unpredictable consequences, especially for the environment. At the initial stage of our research, the main task will be to study in depth all aspects of this amazing phenomenon. I am not afraid to say that humanity is on the threshold of a revolution; time, as a physical quantity in our understanding, carries great potential, but also considerable responsibility.
Just half an hour after the scientists left Kira's laboratory, a real furor had already been created in the scientific world. The results of his experiments have not yet been published in any specialized journal, but immediately attracted attention and, of course, caused skepticism around the world. According to the young scientist, photons could allegedly produce a "negation of time" inside the atom. Social media and all scientific forums exploded.
An entry with a short description of the experiment leaked by some anonymous source instantly went viral. The headline was provocative but succinct: "Photons travel through time. The half-fictionalized summary statement of the photon observation stated that it had spent what appeared to be "time backwards" inside a hydrogen atom. An unknown source informed the public that the scientist-physicist Valkevich Kirill Eduardovich using his unique installation in the course of the experiment generated focused ultra-powerful laser pulses, which made the photons "turn back time".
- Skepticism is certainly present, and quite justifiably so. - Kira remarked, chewing a slice of pizza that Nina Kuznetsova, Ninel, as she was known in the lab, had brought. - The concept of time denial contradicts everything that is known to modern science, especially physics. At such a fundamental level, none of the existing theories, from quantum mechanics to the theory of relativity, allowed for the possibility of time reversal.
Kira's team consisted of four people: apart from him and the laboratory assistant Nina, he was joined by the faithful Genka Valerianov and Arkasha Mazerin, both talented physicists and good friends.
- However, the results of the experiment impressed the scientific world with their persuasiveness," Genka inserted, always proud of his achievements, which often served as a reason for friendly ridicule from the team. - Our graphs and diagrams, it should be noted, showing the trajectory of the photon are present in the leaked information. For everyone, it became a confirmation of its "return" from the atom before it "flew" there.
- Well and let them, - calmly said the judicious Arkasha, - is not it, Kiryukha?
- As long as it doesn't interfere with our work," Kira agreed. - All the world's leading physicists, from ambitious young researchers to honored academicians, are rushing to their computers now. They are trying to find an error in the methodology, suspecting anything: the influence of external factors, measurement errors, even sabotage. But our figures are clean and accurate. The result remains statically significant, even taking into account the errors in such a complex experiment, which are always inevitable.
- Look, the debate is raging. - Nina kept her eyes on the computer monitor. - Some people hold orthodox views and declare the experiment wrong. They refer to the inconsistency with any known laws of physics. And the bolder ones suggest that your discovery, Kira, could revolutionize the understanding of space and time. There are hypotheses about the existence of "time tunnels" inside the atom, about interaction with undiscovered fields or particles, or even hidden dimensions. Some have even started talking about time travel, although they admit that it is a fantastic prospect, not a real possibility in the near future.
Previously unknown in the scientific community, Kira's laboratory became the center of worldwide attention overnight. Arkasha and Genka received thousands of messages and calls, and Kira himself received many offers of cooperation. However, he tried to avoid sensational statements when answering journalists' questions, citing the need for additional experiments and careful verification of the results. The world, however, held its breath, hoping for the publication of a full report on his revolutionary research. The future immediately began to seem unexplored and unpredictably interesting, and the boundaries of human understanding of space and time - frighteningly wide and vague.
The laser in Kira's lab, specially tuned for the experiment, was ready for another experiment. The team had been studying the interaction of matter and light for many years. It had been proven that particles of light, or photons, passing through atoms were absorbed by them and then re-emitted. This interaction altered the atoms, putting them temporarily into an "excited" high-energy state before returning them to normal.
The laser pulsed with a soft purple light, standing in the center of the lab, resembling a heart ready to throw out a powerful pulse. With a cold-bloodedness developed over the years, Kira checked the parameters on the numerous monitors that surrounded the experimental setup. Behind his shoulder, Genka and Arkasha were leaning over the consoles. The air in the laboratory hummed with the low murmur of the operating equipment: the laser was cooled by special systems, and high-precision pumps maintained the vacuum in the experimental chamber.
Today's experiment was the most important. Kira's team had been studying the nonlinear interaction of matter and light for many years, trying to prove that the transition of atoms to quantum states could be controlled. The standard absorption of light and re-emission of photons was just a starting point. Kira was aiming for more - to create quantum states that would be capable of long-term "time negation". This would be the ultimate victory, and then we could really talk about time travel.
Complex graphs flashed on the monitor screens, displaying the parameters of the laser radiation: power, wavelength, polarization. Nina carefully watched the temperature readings in the cryostat. Cesium, which was the main object of study, was cooling there, chosen not by chance, as its atoms had very convenient quantum states.
Genka was in charge of the vacuum control system. He nodded to Kira when the vacuum in the experimental chamber reached the required level. The purpose of this vacuum condition was to minimize the interaction of cesium atoms with the residual molecules of the experimental material. The iridescent film that the scientists had observed the day Kira had first demonstrated his experiment publicly had reappeared on the sample. Arkasha watched the photon detection system. As soon as he confirmed the readiness of his equipment, Kira took a deep breath and pressed the "Start" button.
The laser unit flashed with renewed vigor and emitted a violet beam that pierced the experimental chamber. The graphs that appeared on the monitors showed the results of the interaction between the radiation and the cesium atoms. The tension in the lab became palpable, but the early data was promising as well. Cesium atoms again moved into an excited state, but this time more ordered than in the previous experiments, which indicated a higher level of mutual bonding of the created quantum states.
Kira exchanged quick glances with Genka and Arkasha. With a few more cycles of measurements, they would be able to confirm the goal that had taken years of work to achieve. Anticipation and excitement mingled in the tension-filled laboratory. Now the task of Kira's team was to measure how long the cesium atoms could remain in the excited state.
- This time time was indeed negative," Kira announced, "I mean the duration of time is less than zero. It's true that the excited state was almost over before it started.
- How long did the denial of time last this time? - The always precise Arkasha asked, frowning, his bushy eyebrows shifting on the bridge of his nose.
- It's not exactly negative time in the usual sense," Kira explained, "it's more like an unacceptably small time interval, although so far our instruments register it as less than zero. This is due to the limited response time of the detector. Atoms are in the excited state for such a short time that the process of its emergence and decay is too fast, our detector is not able to register the beginning of the event. That's your task, Genka, you'll have to do some more work on the devices.
Without taking his eyes off the computer, Genka moved the cursor to the curve on the graph, which depicted the lifetime of atoms in the excited state. A few points were noticeably out of the general picture, although most of the data centered around the zero mark.
- Look, guys, only these points are in the negative region," he said. - We use an ultra-short pulse laser, but we run into limitations even with this high accuracy. It's like measuring the thickness of a hair with a centimeter ruler and getting only an approximation.
- So it's not a measurement error? - Nina asked cautiously.
- Well, Ninel," Kira replied, "we've been taking multiple measurements with different parameters, but the results keep giving these negative values. Unfortunately, this indicates that we have reached the limits of our current technology. Now we need better instruments with higher temporal resolution.
- Dear Ninel, - Genka exclaimed pathos, - this opens new perspectives, allows us to see what processes are happening in the microcosm, and they are happening so fast that modern science is unable to measure or describe them. What we have achieved is not just a scientific discovery, but a challenge, a stimulus to develop new measurement methods and further research. The frontiers of knowledge are far from exhausted, and limitless possibilities are opening up before us. If we have encountered a fundamental limit, we must overcome it.
The next day, Kira and his team began a new series of experiments. They moved to the basement lab, where there was more space, and soon the entire room was filled with new devices and bristling with aluminum wires. It took more than two years to optimize the experiments. The lasers used were carefully calibrated to avoid distorting the results. And then came the day of the decisive experiment.
Squinting against the flickering neon lights, Kira checked the settings of the last laser. Adjusting the parameters on the complex control panel, his hands moved quickly and confidently. Two years of painstaking work and endless testing had finally culminated in the final phase - the creation of a stable quantum tunnel. During this time, the scientific world was buzzing like an awakened beehive. After the "negation of time" on the World Wide Web, it was said that Valkevich's team was on the way to the invention of teleportation.
- Not teleportation," Kira once corrected a journalist to whom he had agreed to give a single short interview, "but quantum entanglement control, which can allow instantaneous transmission of information over any distance.
At first, the task seemed impossible. Even the most powerful computers could not cope with calculations of quantum states, and all achievements were nullified by any perturbation from outside. Therefore, all measurements were carried out in a vacuum chamber, and the laboratory was completely isolated from external electromagnetic fields.
The team of scientists was busy testing the tunnel's resistance to external influences. Nina watched the parameters on a large monitor with indicators blinking around her. With a concentrated face, she wrote down all the changes in a special log. Genka sat at a separate console, from where he monitored the operation of the lasers' cooling system. Arkasha seemed to be watching only Genka, nevertheless, not only the success of the whole experiment, but also the safety of the participants depended on their work, as overheating of the lasers could lead to catastrophic consequences.
Kira began to slowly increase the power of the lasers. A wavy curve reflecting the change of quantum state danced on the monitor under Nina's gaze. Genka froze, breathlessly watching the graph. A tension hung in the air, palpable, seeming almost solid. The scientists had run dozens of tests, each resulting in unforeseen interference. The accuracy of the lasers' calibration, the stability of the cooling system - everything was normal, but the team didn't see the expected results.
Suddenly, the curve on the monitor changed dramatically, first becoming unstable, and then going wild. Genka shrieked, pointing at the screen, but everyone had already noticed it. Arkasha at the same moment noticed a sudden temperature spike in the cooling system. Realizing that they would lose everything this way, Kira quickly shut down the lasers. After checking, it turned out that the failure was due to a small power surge in the network. The lasers were on the verge of overheating because the defense system had not fully activated. The team of scientists spent several hours correcting and analyzing the data received. Despite the failure, Kira didn't lose his optimism. They were so close to their goal!
After the decisive experiment, the scientists were again awaited by journalists with the same question: what is Kira's team closer to - the invention of teleportation or a time machine? The physicists immediately clarified: no one claimed that time travel was possible.
- We didn't say anything about something going backwards in time during our experiments," Kira said. - That's a misinterpretation of the concept of time negation. Our work is about quantum entanglement. It proves that information can be transferred instantaneously between two particles, even if they are far apart. A simpler way to explain it is this. Imagine two coins that are quantum entangled. If they are tossed at the same time, and one falls out eagle, the other will instantly fall out tails, and it does not depend on the distance between them. This is the phenomenon we are working on, but at a much more complex level.
Genka, who also had a microphone shoved up his nose, added:
- Yes, we move information, not objects in time. In some of our experiments, we have been able to move information between electrons over a distance of a thousand kilometers instantaneously. It's not teleportation in the usual sense, but quantum telepathy, if you will. It transfers information, but not matter. And matter stays where it is and doesn't go anywhere.
However, the journalists were not appeased.
- Is it possible to move information about a more complex object, such as a living organism, in this way?
- Theoretically, yes," Kira replied. - But now we are faced with enormous difficulties. To describe even a simple organism, we need a huge amount of information. We are talking about the quantum state of each molecule, each atom. Transmission of such information also requires a colossal amount of energy, but this task is solvable. The principal possibility of such a process has already been proven. This is the first step. We plan to work on increasing the distance and improving the accuracy of information transfer.
One of the journalists raised his hand:
- If it is possible to transmit information over long distances instantaneously, does this mean that mankind is closer to creating a communication channel with superluminal speed?
Kira smiled:
- In a way, yes. But don't think it contradicts the theory of relativity. We called this theory "intrinsic relativity." We're not transmitting matter or energy faster than light. I repeat, we are transmitting information, and that is fundamentally different from all the familiar concepts. Imagine the information that is inherited by DNA, that is recorded in cells. And this information is recorded in quantum systems.
The journalists were intrigued and disappointed at the same time. Teleportation of people, as they understood from the scientists' explanations, was still a long way off, but the discoveries of Kira's team promised incredible prospects in various fields of science and technology. They began to imagine quantum computers and completely new communication systems, composing the first paragraphs of their articles in their minds. The work was just beginning, and the future certainly seemed full of incredible possibilities.
Unwilling to give up, Kira and her friends locked themselves in their basement laboratory again, forgetting about food and sleep. The phenomenon that stood in their way really lay in the intricacies of quantum mechanics, in the phenomenon of quantum entanglement. The laws of time and Einstein's theory of relativity, incredibly closely related, set a limit to the speed at which any information could propagate, and that was the speed of light. Photons were unwilling to transmit information in the sense of the word, as Kira explained to reporters. They behaved like probability waves; in Kira's theory of intact relativity, their behavior was described by a wave function. And in each of their experiments, this function collapsed at any parameter measurement, and there was nothing they could do about it.
- Let's figure out what we're doing wrong," Kira finally said to his friends, "let's imagine all the possible paths a photon can take from the point of absorption to the point of re-radiation. It can choose only one of these paths and travel along it at the speed of light. We need that it, figuratively speaking, "explored" all these paths simultaneously. In this case, the wave function of the photon will be a superposition of all possible states, and each of these states will correspond to a certain time.
- Explain one thing to me, - Genka interrupted Kira, - when we measure time, we "force" the wave function to collapse, and we choose only one of the possible states? Is that why observed time looks like a random variable? Some values of time seem so strange, often beyond what we expect. But that doesn't mean that the photon is moving faster than light, does it? After all, the speed of information propagation is still limited by the speed of light. We only manage to transmit information when the wave function collapses, and only when we can make measurements.
- The analogy can be like this," Kira continued his explanations, "remember the example I gave to the journalists about the coin? Before it falls, the coin is in the position of two states - heads and tails. No one can say for sure which will fall out. The wave function collapses only after it has fallen, and a certain result is obtained. In the case of photons, the "drop of a coin" is the measurement and the "result" is the interaction time. The entanglement of photons plays an important role here. If they are entangled, the state of one affects the state of the other instantaneously, regardless of the distance between them. But this influence cannot transmit information faster than light. We cannot control on one photon the result of measurement to influence on another photon.
- But if the interaction time of photons, - Nina timidly raised her voice, - no matter how strange it may be, does not contradict the theory of relativity, then the speed of light will forever remain the limit of the speed of propagation of information.
- The research we've been doing all this time didn't violate Einstein's principles," Kira smiled, "and we observed natural phenomena as a consequence of the quantum description of the world. That's why we called it 'intact relativity'. But we also discovered the 'negation of time'. When we put these two phenomena together, we're going to revolutionize the scientific world. Let's get to work, folks!
Finding that photons traveled "head-to-head" in some of their experiments, Kira, Genka, and Arkasha focused on a phenomenon they defined as group velocity. The team of scientists set out to transform a sample of the matter they had created into a medium with such specific dispersive properties that the group velocity could become anomalously high, which could even exceed the speed of light in a vacuum.
Having adjusted the required laser parameters, the young scientists encountered an even more unusual situation. They specially designed a new environment where the group velocity, to their delight, not only exceeded the speed of light, but also became negative again. Their "negation of time" did not mean that photons began to travel backwards in time. The negative value of the group velocity began to disrupt the normal order of photons entering the detector.
- Kiryukha, what's going on? - Genka asked, suspecting that he already knew the answer to that question.
- Notice this row of photons moving through the medium," Kira replied, addressing the entire group. In our first experiments, photons released earlier reached the detector earlier. In this group velocity experiment, the order of photons arriving at the target was reversed: photons fired later reached the detector earlier!
- We've won! - Arkasha, always calm, exclaimed, watching the joyful Genka and Nina hugging. - Kira, but why didn't it work like this before?
- This was due to a complex system of phase shifts within the experimental medium. Photons passing through the matter created by us interacted with atoms, causing a change in their phases. In the last experiment, these phase shifts were such that they led to the effect of moving photons in time, that is, to their premature arrival at the detector. Moreover, the information about the time of photon release from the laser was preserved in its quantum characteristics, so the cause-and-effect relationship was not broken.
- So creating a time machine is a reality? - asked a romantically inclined Nina.
- Our dear Ninel, - laughed happily Kira, - you will see that critics will still more than once claim that this is just a mathematical artifact, and that in reality there was no "reverse" motion of photons in time. We realize, too, that our experiments and their results provide a deeper understanding of the peculiarities of light propagation in such complex media as we create for our experiments. All this expands our ideas about the nature of time as a physical process. But although the term "time denial" is just a convention and not proof of the existence of time travel, our work should stimulate us for further research in quantum optics. Today's results will help us clarify facets of classical ideas about velocity and time in the microcosm. And even if our experiments are more important not for creating a time machine, but for understanding the peculiarities of light propagation in conditions different from normal, they will open new ways for us to develop quantum technologies, and there... who knows?