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ANU Team Demonstrates Bell Correlations in Helium Atoms’ Motion

The finding opens a path to tests that bring gravity into quantum experiments.

Overview

  • Nature Communications published the ANU result showing Bell-type correlations in the motion of helium atoms.
  • The team created ultracold clouds called Bose–Einstein condensates and collided them to generate momentum‑entangled pairs.
  • An atom interferometer adapted from a photon Rarity–Tapster design read the joint momenta of each pair.
  • The data indicated each atom shared multiple momentum states before measurement, matching quantum predictions of matter superposition.
  • Pair production was about one per run in an 8 cm setup, and the researchers say closing the locality loophole will need separations near 30 cm plus new funding and years of work for gravity‑relevant tests.