Quantum sensing with nanoparticles for gravimetry; when bigger is better
Abstract
Following the first demonstration of a levitated nanosphere cooled to the quantum ground state in 2020 [1], macroscopic quantum sensors are seemingly on the horizon. The nanosphere's large mass as compared to other quantum systems enhances the susceptibility of the nanoparticle to gravitational and inertial forces. In this viewpoint we describe the features of experiments with optically levitated nanoparticles [2] and their proposed utility for acceleration sensing. Unique to the levitated nanoparticle platform is the ability to implement not only quantum noise limited transduction, predicted by quantum metrology to reach sensitivities on the order of ms [3], but also long-lived quantum spatial superpositions for enhanced gravimetry. This follows a global trend in developing sensors, such as cold-atom interferometers, that exploit superposition or entanglement. Thanks to significant commercial development of these existing quantum technologies, we discuss the feasibility of translating levitated nanoparticle research into applications.
Cite
@article{arxiv.2005.14642,
title = {Quantum sensing with nanoparticles for gravimetry; when bigger is better},
author = {Markus Rademacher and James Millen and Ying Lia Li},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2005.14642},
year = {2021}
}
Comments
12 pages, 3 figures, 1 table; table adapted to fix typos in the superscripts of the predicted sensitivity of the 'Lev. spin-mechanics' entry and the achieved sensitivity for the 'Opto-MEMS' entry in Table 1