Tiny chip tames quantum entanglement ⚡ экспресс
For the first time, researchers have created an electrically powered, fully chip-integrated source of polarization-entangled photons without the need for post-selection (filtering out unwanted states). They achieved this by hybrid integration of a miniature DFB laser and a thin-film lithium niobate chip with built-in periodically poled waveguides, a beam splitter, and a polarization converter. The resulting device boasts a record bandwidth of 73 nanometers and churns out up to 45 billion pairs per second per milliwatt of pump power; entanglement fidelity exceeds 96%. This integration rivals bulky lab setups and puts the key element of quantum communications literally at your fingertip.
Toss two coins at once, and they’ll always land heads and tails. But quantum particles share a stronger bond: entangled photons remain one whole, even when separated by vast distances. Measuring one particle instantly determines the state of the other—Albert Einstein called this “spooky action at a distance.” Until now, generating such pairs required bulky labs. But scientists have shrunk the entire process onto a tiny lithium niobate crystal, whose optical properties shift under electric voltage.
Verification through light measurement and color analysis confirmed an entanglement quality of 96%—a stunning result for such a compact source. With this chip, we can realistically transmit secret codes through glass fibers, mount quantum transmitters on satellites, and build sensors of unprecedented sensitivity. In a second, the chip produces more entangled pairs than stars in the Milky Way, yet draws less power than a nightlight bulb.
🎯 If you measure the oscillation direction of one photon in a pair, the other instantly takes the opposite—without any signal being sent.
🎬 Science fiction dreamed of instant communication across space. Quantum entanglement seems like the key, but one strict rule remains: no meaningful information can travel faster than light.