Physicists boost 'entanglement' of atom pairs

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The NIST process for purifying an unusual property of quantum physics called entanglement involves illuminating two pairs of beryllium ions (charged atoms) with a series of ultraviolet laser pulses. Credit: Bill Pietsch Astronaut 3 Media Group Inc.
The NIST process for "purifying" an unusual property of quantum physics called entanglement involves illuminating two pairs of beryllium ions (charged atoms) with a series of ultraviolet laser pulses. Credit: Bill Pietsch, Astronaut 3 Media Group Inc.

Physicists at the Commerce Department's National Institute of Standards and Technology have taken a significant step toward transforming entanglement--an atomic-scale phenomenon described by Albert Einstein as "spooky action at a distance"--into a practical tool. They demonstrated a method for refining entangled atom pairs (a process called purification) so they can be more useful in quantum computers and communications systems, emerging technologies that exploit the unusual rules of quantum physics for pioneering applications such as "unbreakable" data encryption.


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