Tiny chip tames quantum entanglement ⚡ экспресс
Scientists have placed a source of quantum twins—entangled photons—onto a tiny chip that runs on a battery. It pumps out pairs at the speed needed for ultra-secure communication. Perhaps these very chips will soon make our video calls completely private.
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.