Researchers have discovered a way to use mirrors to dramatically reduce the quantum noise that disturbs tiny particles -- a breakthrough that might seem magical but is rooted in quantum physics.
Researchers have discovered a way to use mirrors to dramatically reduce the quantum noise that disturbs tiny particles -- a breakthrough that might seem magical but is rooted in quantum physics . Researchers at Swansea University have discovered a way to use mirrors to dramatically reduce the quantum noise that disturbs tiny particles -- a breakthrough that might seem magical but is rooted in quantum physics .
When scientists measure extremely small objects, such as nanoparticles, they face a difficult challenge: simply observing these particles disturbs them. This happens because photons, particles of light, used for measurement 'kick' the tiny particles they hit, an effect known as 'backaction'. , a team from the University's Physics Department has revealed a remarkable connection, that this relationship works both ways. Swansea University PhD student Rafal Gajewski, first author of the study, said:"Our work has shown that if you can create conditions where measurement becomes impossible, the disturbance disappears too." "Using a hemispherical mirror with the particle at its centre, we found that under specific conditions, the particle becomes identical to its mirror image. When this happens, you can't extract position information from the scattered light, and at the same time, the quantum backaction vanishes."Creating quantum states with objects much larger than atomsConducting experiments which explore the boundary between quantum mechanics and gravityThese findings could be particularly valuable for ambitious projects like MAQRO , a proposed space mission that aims to test quantum physics with larger objects than ever before. Dr James Bateman, who supervised the research, said:"This work reveals something fundamental about the relationship between information and disturbance in quantum mechanics. What's particularly surprising is that the backaction disappears precisely when light scattering is maximised -- the opposite of what intuition might suggest. "By engineering the environment around a quantum object, we can control what information is available about it and therefore control the quantum noise it experiences. This opens up new possibilities for quantum experiments and potentially more sensitive measurements." The team is working on experimental demonstrations and exploring practical applications that could lead to a new generation of quantum sensors. This research is part of a growing field of 'levitated optomechanics', which uses lasers to suspend and control tiny particles in a vacuum; recent experiments have already cooled particles to their lowest possible energy level -- quantum ground state -- showing how much control scientists can have over these systems.A team of physics educators is focusing on a new approach to teaching quantum physics in schools. Traditional classroom teaching has tended to focus on presenting the history of the origins of ... Quantum physicists have successfully simulated super diffusion in a system of interacting quantum particles on a quantum computer. This is the first step in doing highly challenging quantum transport ... The connection between quantum physics and the theory of relativity is extremely hard to study. But now, scientists have set up a model system, which can help: Quantum particles can be tuned in such ... Noise limits the performance of modern quantum technologies. However, particles traveling in a superposition of paths can bypass noise in communication. New research reveals novel techniques to ...
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Quantum computing breakthrough could make 'noise' — forces that disrupt calculations — a thing of the pastBen Turner is a U.K. based staff writer at Live Science. He covers physics and astronomy, among other topics like tech and climate change. He graduated from University College London with a degree in particle physics before training as a journalist.
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