Entangled mechanical oscillators.

Area of Science:

• Quantum Mechanics
• Atomic Physics
• Quantum Information Science

Background:

• Quantum mechanics, characterized by superposition and entanglement, theoretically extends to macroscopic systems like Schrödinger's cat.
• Macroscopic entanglement is not observed, possibly due to environmental decoherence or undiscovered mechanisms limiting entanglement in large systems.
• Previous entanglement demonstrations involved photons, atoms, and condensed matter devices, but not distinct mechanical oscillators.

Purpose of the Study:

• To demonstrate deterministic quantum entanglement between separated mechanical oscillators.
• To entangle the internal states of an atomic ion with a distant mechanical oscillator.
• To explore quantum entanglement in a degree of freedom prevalent in the classical world.

Main Methods:

• Utilizing trapped atomic ions as mechanical oscillators in distinct locations.
• Implementing controlled interactions to deterministically entangle the vibrational states of ion pairs.
• Performing entanglement operations between an atomic ion's internal state and a mechanical oscillator.

Main Results:

• Successful demonstration of deterministic entanglement between separated mechanical oscillators (vibrational states of atomic ions).
• Achieved entanglement between an atomic ion's internal state and a distant mechanical oscillator.
• Established quantum entanglement in a degree of freedom common to the classical realm.

Conclusions:

• Quantum entanglement can be achieved in distinct mechanical oscillators, bridging quantum and classical mechanics.
• These findings pave the way for entangling larger-scale mechanical systems and testing quantum non-locality.
• The developed control techniques are crucial for advancing quantum information processing with trapped ions.