Quantum entanglement is indeed a phenomenon that appears to defy our classical intuitions about the speed of information transfer. According to the theory of relativity, no information or influence can be transmitted faster than the speed of light in a vacuum.
However, it is important to note that quantum entanglement does not violate the principle of the speed of light. The entanglement itself does not transmit information or allow for faster-than-light communication.
When two particles become entangled, their states become correlated in a way that measuring one particle instantaneously determines the state of the other, regardless of the distance between them. This correlation is established at the time of entanglement, often through an interaction between the particles.
The key aspect to understand is that the measurement outcomes of entangled particles are probabilistic in nature. When a measurement is made on one particle, the outcome is random and uncertain until the measurement is performed. The entanglement ensures that the measurement outcomes of the two particles will be correlated, but it does not determine the specific outcome of an individual measurement.
It is only when the measurement results from entangled particles are compared and analyzed collectively that the correlation becomes apparent. However, this correlation cannot be used to transmit information faster than the speed of light because the measurement outcomes are random and cannot be controlled or manipulated to convey meaningful information.
So, while quantum entanglement may seem to involve instantaneous correlations between distant particles, it does not violate the principles of relativity or allow for faster-than-light communication. The apparent non-locality of entanglement arises from the probabilistic nature of quantum mechanics and the correlation between measurement outcomes, rather than the transfer of information.