Seven-Atom Schrödinger Cat Demonstrates Large-Scale Quantum Superposition and Tunneling
Researchers cooled a seven-atom cluster in an optical lattice to ultracold temperatures, creating a large macroscopic quantum superposition that tunnels through a barrier higher than its kinetic energy. The work demonstrates quantum tunneling and superposition at a much larger scale than typical, with potential applications in quantum sensing and interferometry. The team envisions scaling the approach toward hundreds of atoms and using these effects to explore gravity–quantum relationships, marking a step toward larger, more complex quantum states.