5 Sept 2023

 

As quantum technology continues to shape our future, quantum entanglement remains a crucial element in unlocking valuable space applications, but how robust is it?

 

Quantum entanglement occurs at subatomic scales when two particles, such as a pair of photons, can remain connected even when separated by vast distances. Once entangled the possibilities are endless: from quantum computers, to quantum teleportation, and secure data exchange.

 

From bumpy roads to weightlessness

To make this technology practical, we need quantum hardware that can withstand all environments – from your pocket to a spacecraft in orbit. Scientists wanted to test the robustness of quantum entanglement and came to the European Space Agency’s suite of research platforms to find answers.

To push the boundaries, they put their quantum hardware through rocky rides. Their goal was to study the subtle gravitational effects on a quantum system, while exploring the connections between relativity and quantum physics. This could help us understand fluctuations responsible for the large-scale structure of the Universe.

In a first test, during a car trip through Vienna, Austria, and its hilly outskirts, a quantum test setup was put on a journey. This included sharp turns and bumpy roads, experiencing acceleration in all directions, thus proving the robustness of the electronics and apparatus.

In a further test, the hardware was dropped from a tower at the Technical University of Dresden, Germany, and spun in a centrifuge in Ranshofen, Austria, where the hardware experienced accelerations as little as 30 mg and 30 g – 1000 times less and 30 times more gravity than you are experiencing gravity while reading this sentence.

 

Quantum ride

The accelerations required to observe deviations from quantum theory are far beyond what can be achieved with car rides, drop towers or parabolic flights. The main purpose of this experiment was to test if the electronics and optical setup could withstand the rapid changes in speed and acceleration during an ESA parabolic flight conducted this year that left from Bordeaux, France.

The results of the parabolic flight experiment demonstrate that current quantum communication platforms are remarkably robust - no effect due to the changes of acceleration was observed. This is especially important for the development of space-based applications.

“This experiment proves that the science team’s apparatus for measuring quantum entanglement can hold up under extreme conditions and at different acceleration levels,” says ESA’s physical sciences coordinator Astrid Orr, “Quantum technology is set to be available everywhere in the future, and now we know that it could one day work in your pocket while jumping or driving a car.”

 

[Image]

(A) Quantum hardware during parabolic flight

(B) ZARM Drop Tower

(C) Quantum test setup