Jülich, 8 March 2021 – Quantum stunts that could previously only be realised with photons are now also becoming possible with atoms: scientists at Forschungszentrum Jülich, together with partners at TU Wien, have succeeded in producing quantum entangled atomic beams.
Heads or tails? When we toss two coins in the air, the result of one coin toss has nothing to do with the result of the other. But in the world of quantum physics, things are different: quantum particles can be entangled. In that case, they can only be described together.
For years now, there have been different methods to produce entangled photons. For example, special crystals can be used to convert a photon with high energy into two photons with lower energy – this is called “down conversion”. With this technique, large numbers of entangled photon pairs can be produced quickly and easily.
Interview with Tommaso Calarco
In an interview, quantum physicist Tommaso Calarco talks about the opportunities opened up by the new method for producing entangled atomic beams. |
