title: Environment-induced sudden death of entanglement.
abstract: We demonstrate the difference between local, single-particle dynamics and global dynamics of entangled quantum systems coupled to independent environments. Using an all-optical experimental setup, we showed that, even when the environment-induced decay of each system is asymptotic, quantum entanglement may suddenly disappear. This "sudden death" constitutes yet another distinct and counterintuitive trait of entanglement.
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Física, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Caixa Postal 68528, Rio de Janeiro RJ 21941-972, Brazil.
authors.forename: M P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Almeida
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: de Melo
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hor-Meyll
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Salles
authors.forename: S P
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Walborn
authors.forename: P H Souto
authors.initials: PH
authors.lastname: Ribeiro
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Davidovich