English

Direct observation of deterministic macroscopic entanglement

Quantum Physics 2021-09-07 v2

Abstract

Quantum entanglement of mechanical systems emerges when distinct objects move with such a high degree of correlation that they can no longer be described separately. Although quantum mechanics presumably applies to objects of all sizes, directly observing entanglement becomes challenging as masses increase, requiring measurement and control with a vanishingly small error. Here, using pulsed electromechanics, we deterministically entangle two mechanical drumheads with masses of 70 pg. Through nearly quantum-limited measurements of the position and momentum quadratures of both drums, we perform quantum state tomography and thereby directly observe entanglement. Such entangled macroscopic systems are uniquely poised to serve in fundamental tests of quantum mechanics, enable sensing beyond the standard quantum limit, and function as long-lived nodes of future quantum networks.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.2004.05515,
  title  = {Direct observation of deterministic macroscopic entanglement},
  author = {Shlomi Kotler and Gabriel A. Peterson and Ezad Shojaee and Florent Lecocq and Katarina Cicak and Alex Kwiatkowski and Shawn Geller and Scott Glancy and Emanuel Knill and Raymond W. Simmonds and José Aumentado and John D. Teufel},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2004.05515},
  year   = {2021}
}

Comments

42 pages, 3 main figures, supplementary materials: text, 4 figures, 3 tables, 7 references

R2 v1 2026-06-23T14:48:17.626Z