Description:

The Cabibbo-Kobayashi-Maskawa (CKM) matrix, which controls flavor mixing between the three generations of quark fermions, is a key input to the Standard Model of particle physics. In this talk I will identify a surprising connection between quantum entanglement and the degree of quark mixing. Focusing on a specific limit of 2→2 quark scattering mediated by electroweak bosons, we found that the quantum entanglement generated by scattering is minimized when the CKM matrix is almost (but not exactly) diagonal, in qualitative agreement with observation. With the discovery of neutrino masses and mixings, additional angles are needed to parametrize the Pontecorvo-Maki-Nakagawa-Sakata (PMNS) matrix in the lepton sector. Applying the same logic, we also found that quantum entanglement is minimized when the PMNS matrix features two large angles and a smaller one, again in qualitative agreement with observation, plus a hint for suppressed CP violation. I will conclude by outlining future research directions.

Sokratis Trifinopoulos postdoctoral scholar, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Host: Adrian Thompson

Host: Adrian Thompson