Physicists Achieve Record‑Breaking Quantum Entanglement Over 1,200 km

In a landmark experiment, an international team of researchers has demonstrated quantum entanglement between two ground stations separated by more than 1,200 km, using a low‑Earth‑orbit satellite as a relay. The result pushes the distance limit for entangled photon distribution by a factor of three, opening new possibilities for global‑scale quantum communication and ultra‑secure networks.

The experiment, conducted by the Quantum Horizons Consortium, involved a series of synchronized laser pulses emitted from the satellite, each generating pairs of entangled photons. One photon from each pair was beamed down to a station in Vienna, Austria, while its twin traveled to a station in Tokyo, Japan. Using state‑of‑the‑art photon detectors and real‑time error correction, the team successfully verified Bell‑inequality violations with a confidence level of 7σ.

"This is a major step toward a truly global quantum internet," said Prof. Hiroshi Tanaka, lead scientist of the project. "By establishing entanglement across continents, we can begin to build a backbone for quantum‑encrypted communications that are immune to any future computational advances."