Atoms and light get intimate
May 10, 2004
Quantum entanglement is a counterintuitive
scenario in which a pair of systems cannot
be described as two separate systems, no
matter how far apart they are. If two particles
are entangled, for example, then it is
possible to produce exactly the same change
in the joint system by interacting with either
particle. Entanglement allows quantum objects to
be manipulated in ways that are wholly unavailable
to everyday, macroscopic, objects, and this
can be exploited to gain immense advantages
in terms of efficiency in certain computations.
It is therefore of major interest to be
able to confine and manipulate quantum
objects so that we can harness this fascinating
quantum-mechanical effect for computing
and communication purposes.
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