Physicists entangle 15 trillion hot atoms

[Judi Lynn]

By Tim Childers 10 days ago



Abstract illustration of quantum entanglement.
(Image: © Shutterstock)

Physicists set a new record by linking together a hot soup of 15 trillion atoms in a bizarre phenomenon called quantum entanglement. The finding could be a major breakthrough for creating more accurate sensors to detect ripples in space-time called gravitational waves or even the elusive dark matter thought to pervade the universe.

Entanglement, a quantum phenomena Albert Einstein famously described as "spooky action at a distance," is a process in which two or more particles become linked and any action performed on one instantaneously affects the others regardless of how far apart they are. Entanglement lies at the heart of many emerging technologies, such as quantum computing and cryptography.

Entangled states are infamous for being fragile; their quantum links can be easily broken by the slightest internal vibration or interference from the outside world. For this reason, scientists attempt to reach the coldest temperatures possible in experiments to entangle jittery atoms; the lower the temperature, the less likely atoms are to bounce into each other and break their coherence. For the new study, researchers at the Institute of Photonic Science (ICFO) in Barcelona, Spain, took the opposite approach, heating atoms to millions of times hotter than a typical quantum experiment to see if entanglement could persist in a hot and chaotic environment.

"Entanglement is one of the most remarkable quantum technologies, but it is famously fragile," said Jia Kong, a visiting scientist at ICFO and lead author of the study. "Most entanglement-related quantum technology has to be applied in a low-temperature environment, such as a cold atomic system. This limits the application of entanglement states. [Whether or not] entanglement can survive in a hot and messy environment is an interesting question."

More:
https://www.space.com/physicists-entangle-15-trillion-hot-atoms.html?utm_source=notification

[tblue37]

1. K&R and thanks. nt

[Ferrets are Cool]

2. I know they mean well, but one of these days

THEY ARE GONNA KILL US ALL.

[keithbvadu2]

3. "regardless of how far apart they are"

"regardless of how far apart they are"

So they have to be together to become entangled?

And then you can split them apart somehow for whatever distance and they will be matched.

Is that it?

It's beyond my ken for sure.

[nocoincidences]

4. It sure is purty, tho. nt

[lastlib]

5. a very colorful ball of, um, *string*!

Jeez, don't let the tRumpers play with these! They'd break the whole damn universe!

[Amy-Strange]

6. One of the first steps for creating a working teleporter, but...

-

it's probably still years (if not centuries) away from what we saw on Star Trek.
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