In a groundbreaking discovery, Indian scientists have revealed that quantum noise, long considered a disruptive force in delicate quantum systems can sometimes enhance, revive, or even generate quantum entanglement. This breakthrough could have far-reaching implications for the future of quantum communication and computing.
The research, led by scientists at the Raman Research Institute (RRI), an autonomous institution under the Department of Science and Technology (DST), along with collaborators from the Indian Institute of Science, IISER Kolkata, and the University of Calgary, focused on a lesser-known type of quantum entanglement called intraparticle entanglement where different properties within a single particle are entangled.
Traditionally, quantum noise is seen as the enemy of entanglement, causing “decoherence” and leading systems to lose their quantum link. However, this study has flipped that belief. The team discovered that certain kinds of noise specifically amplitude damping, which represents energy loss can not only preserve entanglement in intraparticle systems but also revive it after it has been lost. Even more astonishingly, it can create entanglement in states that were originally unentangled.
When comparing this with interparticle entanglement involving two separate particles, the results were strikingly different. There, noise only caused a steady decay in entanglement, with no sign of recovery or creation. This highlights intraparticle entanglement’s robustness in noisy environments.
“Our study lays down the general framework for understanding decoherence in intraparticle systems. We’ve also derived an exact mathematical expression to track how entanglement changes under noise,” said Dr. Animesh Sinha Roy, lead author and Post-Doctoral Fellow at RRI.
Prof. Urbasi Sinha, who heads the Quantum Information and Computing (QuIC) lab at RRI, said their next step involves experiments using single photons and intraparticle entanglement to develop applications in quantum communication and computing. Since their findings are not tied to any one physical system, the results hold promise for various quantum platforms, including photons, neutrons, and trapped ions.
The study, published in Frontiers in Quantum Science and Technology, also uses a novel Global Noise Model, which treats the particle as a whole making it more physically realistic than previous models.
Noise brings quantum surprise from Indian Scientists
Breakthrough research reveals that quantum noise, the random disruptions so far believed to be a menace as they mess with delicate quantum systems, may not be the villain we assumed and sometimes may bring benefits on its way… pic.twitter.com/Qrs0Gr4krz
— PIB India (@PIB_India) July 14, 2025
The team examined how three types of noise amplitude damping, phase damping, and depolarizing noise affect intraparticle entanglement. While amplitude damping showed the most surprising benefits, intraparticle entanglement consistently proved more stable than interparticle entanglement across all types.
Reacting to the findings, Prof. Dipankar Home of the Bose Institute called the study a “breakthrough,” adding that it “opens up new possibilities for commercially viable quantum technologies using intraparticle entanglement.”
Supported by the India Trento Programme on Advanced Research and the National Quantum Mission, this research turns a long-standing assumption on its head proving that noise, rather than being a foe, can sometimes be an unexpected ally in the quantum world.
This discovery adds yet another chapter to the mysterious and unpredictable nature of quantum mechanics, reminding us that the quantum world still holds many secrets, waiting to be revealed.
