quantum state

noun, Physics.

the condition in which a physical system exists, usually described by a wave function or a set of quantum numbers.

Origin

1920-25

Examples from the web for quantum state

The same is true of energy and time and also of the phase and amplitude of a quantum state.
They form when a cloud of atoms-sometimes millions or more-all enter the same quantum state and behave as one.
Faith is not so much a binary pole as a quantum state, which tends to indeterminacy when closely examined.
The human would see a dim point of light in either the right or left field of view, depending on the photon's quantum state.
Second, the quantum state of the signal wave is preserved.
Teleportation is a protocol about how to send a quantum state-a wave function-from one place to another.
New method pings photons without destroying their quantum state.
Then they applied a pulse of radio frequency electromagnetic radiation, which in effect turned the quantum state upside down.
Quantum mechanics forbids you from making a perfect copy of a quantum state-a principle known as the no-cloning theorem.
In this scheme, each item in the database would be represented by a quantum state of a particle in the computer.

British Dictionary definitions for quantum state

quantum state

noun

(physics) a state of a system characterized by a set of quantum numbers and represented by an eigenfunction. The energy of each state is precise within the limits imposed by the uncertainty principle but may be changed by applying a field of force. States that have the same energy are called degenerate See also energy level

quantum state in Science

quantum state
A description in quantum mechanics of a physical system or part of a physical system. Different quantum states for a physical system show discrete differences in the value of the variables used to define the state. For example, the spin of an isolated electron can take on one of only two values; there are no other quantum states available for the electron and no intermediate values, since spin is quantized. The quantum state is sometimes described by a set of quantum numbers that pick out the appropriate values for describing the state.