Editorial | China is no longer a follower in the race for quantum supremacy
A Chinese team recreated one of Einstein’s famous thought experiments, the results of which could help improve technologies like quantum computing
While not the first of its kind, their experiment was set up with exceptional precision. Going beyond testing Einstein’s idea, it has the potential to explore other phenomena at subatomic levels that could improve related technologies, including quantum computing and cryptography.
Einstein’s idea, which was a modified version of the famous double-slit experiment, suggested that measuring the tiny “kick” given to a movable wall by a photon could reveal its path without interfering with the wave pattern. Niels Bohr disagreed, believing the simultaneous observation was fundamentally impossible.
The Chinese team used a single rubidium atom, cooled nearly to absolute zero as the movable object, to confirm Bohr was right. Their paper, published in Physical Review Letters, confirmed Bohr’s principle that both properties cannot be observed at once.
China has emerged as a global science and technology powerhouse. The gaps between foundational science, technology and commerce are being closed. Quantum technology has been singled out as a key tech field warranting priority in state support.