Physicist creates the fifth state of matter from their living room

A physicist in the UK has created the fifth state of matter from her living room during the coronavirus lockdown using quantum technology. Dr Amruta Gadge from the University of Sussex created a Bose-Einstein Condensate (BEC) – a state of matter where extremely cold atoms clump together and act as if they were a single entity. Despite working from her living room two miles away from the lab, Dr Gadge was able to use her computer to control lasers and radio waves and create the BEC. Researchers at the university's quantum department think it's the first time someone has established a BEC remotely in a lab that didn't previously have one. The achievement could provide a blueprint for using a computer to operate quantum technology remotely, in inaccessible environments such as space or underwater. Quantum technology makes use of the spooky effects of quantum physics to vastly speed up information processing, which could lead to the most powerful computer on Earth.