---
title: "Scientists Quantum Entangled a Record-Breaking 15 Trillion Atoms"
description: "Physicists just linked a record-breaking 15 trillion atoms together through quantum entanglement, and they think the technique could help find dark matter."
date: "2020-06-08"
modified: "2020-06-08"
authors:
  - name: "Dan Robitzski"
    link: "https://futurism.com/authors/danrobitzski"
url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/scientists-quantum-entangled-record-breaking-15-trillion-atoms"
categories:
  - "Physics"
  - "Science & Energy"
tags:
  - "entanglement"
  - "quantum physics"
  - "the digest"
---

# Scientists Quantum Entangled a Record-Breaking 15 Trillion Atoms

![Physicists just linked a record-breaking 15 trillion atoms together through quantum entanglement, and they think the technique could help find dark matter.](<https://futurism.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/scientists-quantum-entangled-record-breaking-15-trillion-atoms.jpg>)
*\<em\>Image: Images via Pixabay\</em\>*

## Atom Soup

A team of physicists just managed to entangle a record-breaking 15 trillion atoms.

The unusual feat is a first for quantum science, *[Live Science ](<https://www.livescience.com/physicists-entangle-15-trillion-hot-atoms.html>)*[reports](<https://www.livescience.com/physicists-entangle-15-trillion-hot-atoms.html>), especially because the scientists decided to heat it up into a chaotic, energized soup. With this mass entanglement in hand, the Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology scientists hope to improve technologies ranging from brain imaging to the hunt for dark matter.

## Chain Reaction

When [particles are entangled](<https://futurism.com/quantum-teleporter-black-holes>), perturbations to one will equally impact the others even when they're separated. Typically, entanglement occurs at [extremely low temperatures](<https://futurism.com/scientists-strange-metal-entangled-electrons>) to prevent particles from colliding. But when the researchers heated a vial of rubidium gas, all 15 trillion atoms entangled with each other in a rapidly-resetting, chaotic chain reaction, [according to research](<https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-020-15899-1>) published last month in *Nature Communications*.

"Entanglement is one of the most remarkable quantum technologies, but it is famously fragile," lead researcher Jia Kong told *Live Science*. "Most entanglement-related quantum technology has to be applied in a low-temperature environment, such as a cold atomic system. This limits the application of entanglement states. \[Whether or not\] entanglement can survive in a hot and messy environment is an interesting question."

## So What?

The new technique is too imprecise to use in quantum computers, *Live Science* reports, but it could help develop extremely-sensitive magnetic sensors for doctors and astrophysicists.

"We hope that this kind of giant entangled state will lead to better sensor performance in applications ranging from brain imaging, to self-driving cars, to searches for dark matter," Barcelona physicist Morgan Mitchell [said in a press release](<https://scitechdaily.com/quantum-entanglement-of-15-trillion-atoms-at-450-kelvin-with-surprising-results/>).

**READ MORE:** [Physicists entangle 15 trillion hot atoms](<https://www.livescience.com/physicists-entangle-15-trillion-hot-atoms.html>) \[*Live Science*\]

**More on quantum entanglement:** *[Scientists Capture First-Ever Image of Quantum Entanglement](<https://futurism.com/the-byte/capture-first-image-quantum-entanglement>)*

## Author
Dan Robitzki is a senior reporter for Futurism, where he likes to cover AI, tech ethics, and medicine. He spends his extra time fencing and streaming games from Los Angeles, California.

### Author social links  
[Twitter](<https://x.com/danrobitzski>)