Scientists make breakthrough in quantum physics’ ‘spookiest’ theory

The best of Voices delivered to your inbox every week - from controversial columns to expert analysis Sign up for our free weekly Voices newsletter for expert opinion and columns Sign up to our free weekly Voices newsletter Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. One of the most iconic features of quantum mechanics is “entanglement” – describing particles that are mysteriously linked regardless of how far away from each other they are. Einstein famously called entanglement “spooky action at a distance”, as altering one particle in an entangled pair affects its twin instantaneously – no matter how far away it is. It also has the potential to be exceptionally useful – particles linked in this way can be used to transfer a particle’s quantum state, such as spin, from one location to another immediately. Einstein famously described quantum entanglement theory as ‘spooky at a distance’ This is where the new research, published in three papers in Science, has made a significant breakthrough.