ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Greenberger–Horne–Zeilinger state

The Greenberger-Horne-Zeilinger (GHZ) state is a special way that electrons and other tiny particles can be linked together or "entangled" so that they behave in very interesting ways. It’s like tying three balloons together, if you squeeze one balloon, the others will also change shape even though you didn't touch them directly.

In the same way, when three tiny particles are entangled in a GHZ state, changing one particle’s properties will instantly affect the other two particles, even if they are far apart. This is like magic because normally in science, changes only occur when something physically interacts with something else.

Scientists use the GHZ state to develop quantum technologies that could lead to better ways of telecommunications, computing, and cryptography. This is because the GHZ state allows for incredibly precise and secure data transfer, as even tiny disturbances in the state of the particles can be detected instantly. Scientists continue to study and develop the GHZ state and other quantum states to make new and exciting discoveries in the field of physics.