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Quantum entanglement and the phases of matter

Sachdev
Sachdev

In many modern materials, electrons quantum-entangle with each other across long distances, and produce new phases of matter, such as high temperature superconductors. We face the challenge of describing the entanglement of 10^{23} electrons, which is being met by many ideas. A promising recent approach uses string theory. This theory was  originally constructed as a unification of the quantum field theory of elementary particles with Einstein's theory of gravitation. Unexpectedly, the "dualities" of string theory have given us a new perspective on long-range entanglement in quantum models which describe electrons in modern materials in easily accessible laboratory environments.