Chinese scientists set a world record, keeping a quantum 'Schrödinger's cat' alive for 23 minutes.
Researchers at the University of Science and Technology of China have shattered records by maintaining a quantum "Schrödinger-cat" state for an astounding 1,400 seconds—nearly 23 minutes.
By cooling 10,000 ytterbium-173 atoms to near absolute zero and trapping them with lasers, the team successfully suspended the particles in two distinct spin states simultaneously.
While these fragile superpositions usually collapse almost instantly due to environmental noise, the scientists utilized a specialized "decoherence-free subspace" and a "magic wavelength" optical lattice to shield the atoms, effectively creating a quantum safe room that preserved the state far longer than previously thought possible.
This achievement is not just a feat of endurance; it represents a major leap for quantum metrology and fundamental physics. Because these long-lived states are exceptionally sensitive to external forces, they could serve as the foundation for ultra-precise magnetic field detectors, atomic clocks, and advanced navigation systems.
Beyond practical applications, the stability of this system allows researchers to test the boundaries of the Standard Model and explore elusive physical forces. As vacuum technology improves, this record-breaking duration could be pushed even further, bringing us closer to fault-tolerant quantum computing and a deeper understanding of the quantum world.
source: Zuo, X., et al. A 1,400-second long-lived Schrödinger-cat state in a thousand-atom system. University of Science and Technology of China.
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