The 2022 Nobel Prize in Physics was awarded to a team of scientists who proved Einstein incorrect. The award was given to John Clauser, Alain Aspect, and Anton Zeilinger for their proof of quantum entanglement. Einstein called quantum entanglement spooky action at a distance and dismissed the phenomenon. It was widely believed that quantum entanglement was impossible until Clauser, Aspect, and Zeilinger proved Einstein wrong.

Quantum entanglement falls under the laws of quantum mechanics. Quantum mechanics is the study of the behavior of particles inside an atom and photons. Since these particles are so small, they do not behave in the same way that larger objects do, so the rules of classical mechanics cannot be applied. In addition to their size, subatomic particles behave randomly, which is also why they defy the laws of classical mechanics. One of the basics of quantum mechanics is superposition which suggests that a particle fluctuates between different states. When a measurement is taken, only the state at that moment is measured. It’s similar to when a coin is spinning. The coin is fluctuating between heads and tails, and it could be stopped at any moment with either heads or tails facing up.

Continuing with the coin example, quantum entanglement suggests that for every coin that is in a state of heads, there is an entangled or paired coin that is in a state of tails. The two coins are also superpositioned, so if the state of one coin is known at a certain instance, the state of the other coin would also be known in that same instance. In the world of particles, for every particle that is spinning up at a particular instant, there is a paired particle that spins down in that same instant. Additionally, these pairs do not have to exist side by side. In fact, one of the particles could be here on Earth, and the other could be near the Sun or at the edge of the universe. And if a scientist knew in what way the particle was moving on Earth, they would know that the pair is moving in the opposite direction regardless of its location. Their opposite motions occur simultaneously, and the paired behavior defies speed and distance.

One application that could utilize quantum entanglement is quantum cryptography. Quantum cryptography utilizes particles that are quantumly entangled to protect data. Since these particles are superpositioned and paired, anyone who tries to change the data, would be immediately detected by people monitoring the data.

Quantum entanglement could also be used to make microscopes stronger. Photons, which are particles of light, can also be entangled. By using entangled photons in a microscope, scientists can gather a lot of information because measuring one entangled photon will give information about itself and its partner. Scientists would be able to see so much more underneath a microscope.

Clauser, Aspect, and Zeilinger’s proof has answered a question that has consumed scientists for over a century. But their research also poses many new questions that could help scientists better understand quantum physics. Although quantum physics deals with the behavior of subatomic particles and does not follow the laws of classical mechanics and physics, there are still many practical applications to be discovered that could push the limits of science and help people better understand the world around them.