A片资源吧

Particle physics, the study of the behavior of matter and energy at the subatomic level, offers profound insights into understanding the workings of the universe.

The world鈥檚 largest and most powerful particle accelerator is the  (LHC) at in Geneva, Switzerland. The facility uses a 27-kilometer ring of magnets to push subatomic particles to near the speed of light, causing them to collide and allowing researchers to observe their behaviours. A片资源吧 (SFU) has been a part of the at CERN since 2001.

Physics professors Matthias Danninger, Bernd Stelzer and Michel Vetterli and their research group work with data from the ATLAS detector, contribute to the smooth operation of the ATLAS experiment at CERN, host critical computing infrastructure for ATLAS at SFU, and support the development of key detector components.

The trio has recently contributed to major and high-profile papers on the , and the search for . They were recently awarded the 2025 Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics along with CERN researchers from around the world. 

Working with LHC data often leads to the discovery of new and unforeseen phenomena. Just this month, in top quark data, the heaviest known elementary particle, pointing to the possible observation of toponium, a fleeting bound state of a top quark and its antiparticle. This result challenges long-held assumptions about the formation and detectability of such a state at the LHC.

In a recent article published in Nature, the ATLAS collaboration reported on the  at the highest energy levels ever recorded.  

is a phenomenon in quantum physics where two or more particles become linked in such a way that the state of one particle is directly connected to the state of the other, no matter how far apart they are in space.

The scientists detected spin entanglement through a specific angular measurement, marking the first observation of entanglement in quarks and setting a new energy benchmark for such phenomena. Entanglement can be inferred by observing the directions of the charged particles emitted from top quarks as they decay.

We spoke to professors Danninger and Stelzer about this observation.

What did you learn about quantum entanglement from this observation? Why is the discovery significant?

While particle physics is deeply rooted in quantum physics, this is the first time entanglement has been observed in quarks, and it has several significant implications. It confirms that quantum entanglement persists even at the highest energy scales of LHC particle collisions, a billion times more energetic than table-top entanglement measurements, reinforcing the universality of quantum mechanics.

The discovery provides a new way to test the predictions of the of particle physics. Demonstrating entanglement in high-energy systems opens the door to exploring quantum information concepts in particle physics. This could lead to novel methods for studying quantum entanglement in extreme conditions.

How might this observation influence future analyses and experiments? What will you look for next?

This observation opened a window to entanglement measurements at the LHC which offers the opportunity to measure quantum systems with other particles of the Standard Model. For example, the SFU-led Higgs Boson analysis provides a sample of entangled W bosons, which could enable deeper investigations into quantum entanglement in particle physics, possibly including fundamental measurements. However, such analyses will likely require the full Run-3 dataset from the LHC, which we are still in the process of collecting.

Does this discovery have implications for quantum computing or other quantum technologies?

Measurements like this often inspire cross-pollination between disciplines. It is important to remain open-minded about how this work might inform future advances in quantum information and quantum communication.

What implications does it have for particle physics or our understanding of nature?

This is the first time entanglement has been observed between top quarks, the heaviest known elementary particles. It confirms that quantum entanglement persists even in the ultra-short lifetimes and high-energy environments of top quark production and decay, providing strong evidence that quantum mechanics governs even the most extreme regimes of the Standard Model.

What stands out from your experience working with the team at CERN?

Working with the team at CERN on ATLAS, one of the largest and most complex scientific instruments ever built, has been a profoundly rewarding experience, allowing us to explore the fundamental building blocks of matter under the most extreme conditions ever created in a laboratory, and to collaborate globally on groundbreaking discoveries like the Higgs boson.

Our team at SFU is excited to prepare the ATLAS experiment of the future, designed to harness these unprecedented data of the High-Luminosity LHC era and further push our understanding of the universe鈥檚 fundamental building blocks.

For more:

• SFU researchers among winners of prestigious Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics
• The ATLAS Tier-1 Data Centre at SFU