Quantum entanglement in top quarks has been demonstrated, according to CERN physicists who say the discovery provides new insights into the behavior of fundamental particles and their interactions at distances that cannot be reached by light-speed communications.
The research, led by Professor Regina Demina of the University of Rochester, extends the phenomenon known as ‘spooky action at a distance’ to the heaviest particles recognized by physicists and provides important new insights into high-energy quantum mechanics.
First discovered almost thirty years ago, top quarks are the most massive elementary particles ever observed. The mass of these unique particles comes from their coupling with the Higgs boson, the famous particle predicted in theory regarding the unification of the weak and electromagnetic interactions. According to the Standard Model of particle physics, this coupling is the largest that occurs at the scale of weak interactions and above.
In the past, quantum entanglement has been observed in stable particles, including electrons and photons. In their new research, Demina and her team demonstrate the entanglement between unstable top quarks and their antimatter counterparts, revealing spin correlations that occur over distances beyond the transfer of information at the speed of light.
The findings pose new challenges to existing models and advance our understanding of particle behavior at extreme energies.
The experiment was conducted at the European Center for Nuclear Research (CERN) as part of the Compact Muon Solenoid (CMS) Collaboration. CERN is home to the famous Large Hadron Collider (LHC), a device that propels high-energy particles at speeds approaching that of light along a 17-mile underground track.
Given the amount of energy required to produce top quarks, such processes can only be realized at facilities like CERN. The results of Demina’s recent research could shed some light on how long entanglement lasts, and also on whether it can be extended to ‘daughter’ particles or decay products. The research can also help determine whether the entanglement between particles can be broken.
It is currently believed that the universe was in an entangled state after its initial phase of rapid expansion. The revelation of the entanglement in top quarks could help scientists like Demina better understand what factors may have contributed to our world’s quantum connection decreasing over time, ultimately leading to the state of our reality today the day exists.
Furthermore, the results of the experiment could have applications in the growing field of quantum information science. Although top quarks are not well suited for use with quantum computers, the recent findings could nevertheless be useful in giving researchers a better understanding of their entanglement properties, which could also shed light on how quantum bonds are maintained or disrupted.
Ultimately, the new findings made possible by CERN could challenge our current widely accepted understanding of quantum mechanics while setting the pace for future studies of quantum phenomena that could help add missing pieces to the puzzle of our cosmic origins and the fundamental laws that govern reality.
Micah Hanks is editor-in-chief and co-founder of The Debrief. He can be reached by email at micha@thedebrief.org. Follow his work michahanks.com and on X: @MichaHanks.