Researchers at JILA, a joint institute of NIST and the University of Colorado, have discovered that patterns of noise in images of ultracold potassium atoms provide visual evidence of correlated atoms. This method could potentially be used to identify and test the limits of entanglement, a phenomenon Einstein called “spooky action at a distance.” Entangled atom pairs have properties that instantaneously affect each other, even when separated by substantial distances. The research could also enable scientists to “see” other types of correlations between atoms in fermionic condensates, a new quantum state, and could be applied in highly sensitive measurement techniques using beams of entangled atoms. The noise appears as speckles in images of a cloud of ultracold potassium atoms made under very specific conditions. The JILA team found similar patterns of dark and light areas in images of two groups of atoms, clear evidence for correlated atoms. In one experiment, atom pairs were detected as far as 350 micrometers apart, allowing for the study of fascinating quantum phenomena like “spooky action at a distance.”
Keywords: Entanglement, Correlated atoms, Atom shot noise, Quantum physics, Fermionic condensates
