# Killing quantum entanglement by acceleration or a black hole

**Authors:** Yue Dai, Zhejun Shen, Yu Shi  
**arXiv:** [1507.00612](https://arxiv.org/abs/1507.00612)  
**Date:** 2015-07-02  
**Summary page:** https://www.summarizepaper.com/en/paper/1507.00612v2/

## Key points

- Study titled "Killing quantum entanglement by acceleration or a black hole" explores dynamics of entangled accelerating qubits coupled with real scalar fields in Unruh-Wald model
- Investigates behavior of bipartite and tripartite entanglement in scenarios involving two or three entangled qubits in GHZ or W states, considering impact of acceleration on quantum correlations
- Demonstrates that Unruh effect crucial in determining fate of entanglement between qubits under varying levels of acceleration
- Bipartite entanglement vanishes abruptly when acceleration reaches certain threshold, highlighting how external factors like acceleration can disrupt and destroy quantum correlations
- Tripartite entanglement also experiences sudden death at specific values of acceleration-frequency ratio, emphasizing delicate balance needed for maintaining multipartite entanglement under accelerated conditions
- Proximity to black hole affects quantum entanglement: Loss of entanglement observed when qubits approach black hole horizon, especially near critical distance from the horizon
- Study sheds light on interplay between acceleration, gravitational effects near black holes, and quantum entanglement dynamics under extreme conditions

## Summary

In their study titled "Killing quantum entanglement by acceleration or a black hole," authors Yue Dai, Zhejun Shen, and Yu Shi explore the dynamics of entangled accelerating qubits coupled with real scalar fields within the framework of the Unruh-Wald model. They investigate the behavior of bipartite and tripartite entanglement in different scenarios involving two or three entangled qubits in GHZ or W states, considering the impact of acceleration on their quantum correlations. The authors demonstrate that the Unruh effect plays a crucial role in determining the fate of entanglement between qubits subjected to varying levels of acceleration. Specifically, they show that as the acceleration of one or more qubits reaches a certain threshold, the bipartite entanglement abruptly vanishes. This phenomenon highlights how external factors such as acceleration can disrupt and ultimately destroy quantum correlations between particles. Furthermore, by examining three entangled accelerating qubits in GHZ and W states with equal acceleration-frequency ratios, Dai et al. find that tripartite entanglement also experiences a sudden death at specific values of acceleration-frequency ratio. This result underscores the delicate balance required for maintaining multipartite entanglement under accelerated conditions. Moreover, drawing parallels between the Rindler metric and the Schwarzschild metric near black hole horizons, the authors reveal intriguing insights into how proximity to a black hole affects quantum entanglement. They observe that for two entangled qubits outside a black hole, approaching its horizon leads to an abrupt loss of entanglement when one or both qubits come sufficiently close. Similarly, for three entangled qubits in GHZ or W states near a black hole horizon, tripartite entanglement ceases abruptly when these particles reach a critical distance from the horizon. Overall, this study sheds light on the intricate interplay between acceleration, gravitational effects near black holes, and quantum entanglement dynamics. The findings offer valuable contributions to our understanding of how environmental factors can influence and potentially disrupt quantum correlations in multipartite systems under extreme conditions.