Quantum entanglement of particles is now a well-established technique. Take two or more unmeasured particles and correlate them so that their properties blur and mirror each other. Measuring one instantly locks the corresponding characteristic of the other in place, even if it is far away.
In a new study, physicists show a bold way to change the game by entangling two completely different types of particles: units of light, or photons, and phonons, the quantum equivalent of sound waves. was theorized.
Physicists Changlong Zhu, Claudiu Genes, and Birgit Stiller from the Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light in Germany call their new system photoacoustic entanglement.
This represents a hybrid system that uses two very different fundamental particles, establishing a form of entanglement that is uniquely resistant to external noise, one of the biggest problems facing quantum technology. , an important step towards more robust quantum devices.
Quantum entanglement holds promise for applications in high-speed quantum communication and quantum computing. The unique physics that defines isolated and entangled particles before and after measurement makes them ideal for a variety of applications, from cryptography to high-speed algorithms.
However, the delicate quantum states required for these processes can be easily broken, a problem that has hindered their practical application.
Scientists are working to solve this problem using several promising methods. Higher dimensionality Reduces the effects of deterioration noise. Add more particles Toward an intertwined system. However, a viable solution is very likely to involve multiple paths, so the more options you have, the more likely you are to find the right combination.
The paths that Zhu and his colleagues investigated involved pairs of “particles,” or sounds, with entirely different propagations, rather than photons and other photons. This is very difficult to achieve because photons and phonons travel at different speeds and have different energy levels.
The researchers used a process called Brillouin scattering to show how particles become entangled. Brillouin scattering is the scattering of light by waves of sound vibrations generated by heat between atoms in a material.
In their proposed solid-state system, the researchers pulse laser light and sound waves into an on-chip solid-state Brillouin active waveguide designed to induce Brillouin scattering. When two quanta travel along the same photonic structure, the phonons travel at a much slower speed, resulting in scattering and potentially entangling particles carrying dramatically different energy levels.
What makes this even more interesting is that it can be achieved at higher temperatures than standard entanglement approaches, thus bringing the entanglement from a cryogenic zone and potentially reducing the need for expensive specialized equipment.
More research and experiments are needed, but the researchers say the results are promising.
“The fact that the system operates over a wide bandwidth in both optical and acoustic modes.” they write“brings new perspectives on entanglement with continuous modes that have great potential for applications in quantum computing, quantum memory, quantum metrology, quantum teleportation, entanglement-assisted quantum communications, and boundary exploration.” Between the classical world and the quantum world. ”
This research physical review letter.
