Heavy Waves: Quantum Superpositions in Sodium Nanoparticles
from Intellectually Curious Hosted by Mike Breault
We explore a Nature study that pushes quantum interference to masses of 170,000 daltons—sodium clusters of 5–10,000 atoms delocalized across 133 nm in a Talbot-Lau interferometer. The result challenges macrorealism and confirms the Schrödinger equation at a scale never before seen, achieving a macroscopicity score of 15.5—tenfold improvement over the previous record. Looking ahead to the million-dalton target, we discuss how these experiments edge toward the quantum-gravity boundary and what it would mean to put viruses in a wave state. Note: This podcast was AI-generated, and sometimes AI can make mistakes. Please double-check any critical information. Sponsored by Embersilk LLC
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We explore a Nature study that pushes quantum interference to masses of 170,000 daltons—sodium clusters of 5–10,000 atoms delocalized across 133 nm in a Talbot-Lau interferometer. The result challenges macrorealism and confirms the Schrödinger equation at a scale never before seen, achieving a macroscopicity score of 15.5—tenfold improvement over the previous record. Looking ahead to the million-dalton target, we discuss how these experiments edge toward the quantum-gravity boundary and what ...
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