There is no physical process that can create an identical, independent copy of an arbitrary unknown quantum state. Proved by William Wootters and Wojciech Zurek, it is a basic structural fact of quantum mechanics with direct consequences for quantum cryptography and quantum information theory.
Facts
StatementThe no-cloning theorem states that it is impossible to create an independent, identical copy of an arbitrary unknown quantum state. 1 Proof YearJames L. Park's closely related no-go theorem predates this, published in 1970; the named no-cloning theorem itself is dated to the independent 1982 proofs. Classification
Statement Form Connections
Has Statement Form
Entity-backed identity for the statement-form enum value this theorem already carries, resolved to a mathematics concept by an explicit value-to-entity map (phase 3 bucket conversion, docs\design_entity_backed_browse_buckets_20260928.md). The statement-form fact itself stays on the theorem unchanged.
In Branch
Sources
1. No-Cloning Theorem (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia FoundationIntroductionQuote, Introduction
The theorem is an evolution of the 1970 no-go theorem authored by James L. Park, in which he demonstrates that a non-disturbing measurement scheme which is both simple and perfect cannot exist (the same result would be independently derived in 1982 by William Wootters and Wojciech H. Zurek as well as Dennis Dieks the same year).
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