Entanglement dynamics in two-proton decay of 12O and 6Be

Abstract

This study introduces a novel investigation into the entanglement dynamics of two-proton decay in ⁶Be and ¹²O, using a three-body model to explore quantum correlations in nuclear systems. For ⁶Be, we measure entanglement using the von Neumann entropy and observe a decline from 0.70 to 0.35–0.40 within 1 ps due to decoherence driven by spatial separation, proton-proton interactions, and core dynamics. In the heavier ¹²O, the CHSH indicator reveals strong quantum correlations, reaching 2.282 close to the Tsirelson bound \((2\sqrt 2 \approx 2.828)\), but limited by model simplifications and environmental effects. Through time-dependent simulations with realistic nuclear potentials, we uncover the critical roles of proton-proton interactions and core structure in sustaining entanglement. These findings not only advance our understanding of quantum phenomena in nuclear decay but also address a key gap in connecting nuclear physics with quantum information science, paving the way for future experimental exploration of entanglement in proton-rich nuclei using coincidence measurements.