Quantum Dance at Room Temperature ⚡ экспресс
For the first time, entanglement has been created at room temperature in a two-dimensional material—hexagonal boron nitride (hBN)—between an electron spin (controlled by light) and a carbon-13 nuclear spin. The dynamic decoupling technique (like noise cancellation for spins) increased coherence time to 38 microseconds, enabling Bell states with 0.89 fidelity. The long-lived nuclear spin acted as quantum memory, boosting sensitivity to AC magnetic fields. This opens the door to ultra-precise quantum sensors based on layered materials.
Quantum entanglement is like two dancers always performing perfectly synchronized steps, even on different continents. Such a duet was previously only achieved in laboratory refrigerators. Now physicists have staged it in a flat crystal of boron nitride at room temperature, pairing the spin of an electron with the spin of a carbon-13 nucleus. To prevent the rhythm-disrupting crowd of atoms from spoiling the dance, they used 'dynamic decoupling'—a technique that isolates the pair from outside noise. The sync lasted 38 microseconds—an eternity on the quantum scale.
The nuclear spin served as quantum memory, boosting the sensitivity of magnetic sensors to the point of distinguishing individual molecules. Correlation spectroscopy and control of quantum disorder—entropy—played a key role. An unexpected twist: the entangled pair's room-temperature stability turned out to be sufficient for working inside a living cell. Biologists are already eyeing this tool for observing molecular processes.
🎯 Entangled particles can exist in two states at once—physicists call this superposition. Only a measurement forces them to pick one.
🎬 Sensors based on entangled particles resemble a tricorder from Star Trek—a pocket matter analyzer that distinguishes atoms.