Demonstrating quantum weirdness with vibration quanta called phonons shows that the particles can complement photons in quantum information technology.
Few quantum effects are as mind-tripping as the quantum eraser, in which quantum signatures can appear or disappear depending on the future actions of an experimenter. Previous quantum eraser experiments have used photons, but a research team has now demonstrated the same bewildering phenomenon with phonons, the quantum particles of vibration and sound. The ability to perform this magic trick with phonons suggests that the particles might serve as useful intermediaries in the transport of quantum information over long distances.