Ultracold atoms have been ‘hyperentangled’ for the first time

Extremely cold atoms have been connected into a state of quantum “hyperentanglement” for the first time. This demonstrates a new level of control over their quantum properties, which could prove useful for quantum computing.

When cooled to temperatures very close to absolute zero – the lowest possible temperature – atoms don’t fully freeze in place, because quantum effects that don’t exist at warmer temperatures enable them to keep making tiny motions. A research team at the California Institute of Technology has now used laser light to take control of those motions in an unprecedented…