Einstein’s “spooky action” just survived one of physics’ most extreme tests

Physicists have detected strong evidence that heavy, fleeting Z bosons can become quantum entangled during Higgs boson decays at CERN’s Large Hadron Collider. The result shows that Einstein’s “spooky action at a distance” survives even under some of the most extreme conditions ever created in a laboratory. Einstein’s “spooky action” just survived one of physics’ most extreme tests.

The finding, made with CERN’s powerful Large Hadron Collider, has been published in Physical Review Letters. Quantum entanglement occurs when two particles share properties in such a way that measurements of one can reveal information about the other, even when the particles are separated. The connection is one of the most counterintuitive features of quantum mechanics and has challenged physicists’ understanding of reality for decades.

Albert Einstein famously called entanglement "spooky action at a distance," and scientists have previously observed the effect in systems involving photons, electrons and trapped ions. Entanglement has also become central to several emerging technologies, including quantum computers, ultra-secure quantum communication networks and advanced sensors. In quantum computing, for example, entanglement allows multiple qubits to be manipulated together rather than one at a time, making it possible to carry out multiple calculations simultaneously.