Using the Schmidt Decomposition to Determine Quantum Entanglement

Quantum information theory is a rapidly growing area of math and physics that combines two independent theories, quantum mechanics and information theory. Quantum entanglement is a concept that was first proposed in the EPR paradox. In quantum mechanics, particles can be in superposition, meaning they are in multiple different states at once. It is not until the particle is measured that it is forced into a single state. However, it is possible that particles can be tied to other particles, meaning that the measurement of one particle will determine the measurement of the other particle. Entanglement is at the very core of quantum information theory. It is one of the core pieces that allows for the massive increase in computing power. For this paper, we decided to focus on demonstrating the mathematical method (the Schmidt decomposition) for determining if a system is entangled, and a demonstration of quantum entanglement's use (quantum teleportation) as well as a quick look at how to extend the uses of the Schmidt decomposition.