Communications of the ACM
Sorry, Einstein. Quantum Study Suggests 'spooky Action' Is Real.
Scientists at Delft University of Technology say they have validated the concept of quantum entanglement.
Credit: Reformitnow.org
Delft University of Technology scientists report validating quantum theory's fundamental claim of the phenomenon of spooky action, in which objects separated by great distance can instantaneously affect each other.
Their experiment, described as a "loophole-free Bell test," eliminates all possible hidden variables by entangling a pair of diamond-entrapped electrons 1.3 kilometers apart and then sharing information between them, using detectors on opposite sides of the Delft campus to ensure no conventional information exchange is possible. Pulses of microwave and laser energy are then applied to entangle the electrons and measure their spin.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology physicist David Kaiser says only two out of three major quantum loopholes have been closed by the Delft experiment. He notes the electronic system the researchers used to add randomness to their measurement may actually be subtly predetermined, meaning the outcome also might still be predetermined.
The U.S. National Science Foundation is funding work by Kaiser and others to close the final loophole via an experiment to measure light from distant objects on different sides of the galaxy. Such work is seen as a step toward a "quantum Internet" composed of entangled particles that offers absolute security.
From The New York Times
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