Observation of quantum entanglement in $$ \Lambda \overline{\Lambda} $$ pair production via electron-positron annihilation

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bstract

Quantum entanglement, a profound feature of quantum mechanics where particles share interconnected states regardless of distance, has been extensively studied in low-energy systems like photons and atoms. Exploring entanglement in high-energy particle collisions offers unique opportunities to probe quantum phenomena under extreme conditions. Here we demonstrate the observation of quantum entanglement between lambda and anti-lambda hyperons

produced in electron-positron collisions via the decay of the J / ψ particle. By analyzing the angular correlations of the protons and antiprotons emerging from the subsequent weak decays of the hyperons, we identify clear signatures of entanglement that violate the limits derived for product states. This result confirms that entanglement persists through both the strong interaction production process and the weak decay processes. We further establish a general polar-azimuthal selection rule showing that azimuthal correlations are indispensable for entanglement certification in spin-1/2 fermion-antifermion systems. It is also confirmed that a significant majority of these decay events occur at spacelike separation, meaning that no classical signal could connect them. The successful detection of entanglement in this hyperon-antihyperon system establishes a new methodology and platform for measuring quantum properties in relativistic particle physics, complementing traditional approaches and opening avenues for future investigations into decoherence or symmetry violations in high-energy collisions.