New lab-campus partnership to harness power of ‘spooky action at a distance’
A new alliance between Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and UC Berkeley will seek to harness the power of quantum coherence, known popularly as “spooky action at a distance,” to develop a variety of exciting new technologies, from quantum computers to ultra-secure ways to transmit information.
Quantum coherence refers to a mystifying phenomenon in which two particles can become so “entangled” that changing one will trigger a change in the other — even if the particles are miles or even light-years apart.
The goals of the partnership, which has been dubbed Berkeley Quantum, will be to advance the design, fabrication and testing of quantum devices and technologies, and educate the next generation of scientists in the field.
“Berkeley Quantum will leverage the core capabilities and strengths of Berkeley Lab and UC Berkeley, and create a focal point for quantum information science and engineering in Berkeley and the broader San Francisco Bay Area tech ecosystem — for industry, academia and national lab researchers,” says Berkeley Lab Deputy Director for Research Horst Simon.