The Quantum Mpemba Paradox: Why Hotter Cools Faster ✎ express
Hot tea normally takes longer to cool than warm tea, but water sometimes breaks this rule: back in the 1960s, schoolboy Erasto Mpemba noticed that hot ice cream freezes faster than cold. This paradox has moved into the quantum world: a collection of particles can settle down faster if it was initially more excited. The quantum Mpemba effect is like an orchestra tuning up faster after a loud symphony.
The effect is amplified by breaking time symmetry — making it so the past cannot be reconstructed. In experiments on particle chains inspired by number theory, equilibrium was reached almost instantaneously. This paves the way for faster quantum computers, where unwanted 'memories' are erased without delay.
To test the effect, scientists used states inspired by number theory — and equilibrium was reached tens of times faster.