Entangled protons in ice

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R. Car, Princeton University
Fine Hall 224

Quantum fluctuations can drive phase transitions in ice. This happens when the protons tunnel between the two equivalent sites on a hydrogen bond. The corresponding dynamics is collective and dominated by strong local correlations originating from the ice rules. As a result, the state of the proton is entangled, an effect that can be measured in simulations and has experimental consequences.