Related papers: Macroscopic Quantum Resonators Path Finder (MAQRO-…
Conducting levitated mechanical experiments in extreme conditions has long been the aim of researchers, as it allows for the investigation of new fundamental physics phenomena. One of the great frontiers has been sending these experiments…
We describe the use of optically levitated microspheres as test masses in experiments aimed at reaching and potentially exceeding the standard quantum limit for position measurements. Optically levitated microspheres have low mass and are…
Do the laws of quantum physics still hold for macroscopic objects - this is at the heart of Schr\"odinger's cat paradox - or do gravitation or yet unknown effects set a limit for massive particles? What is the fundamental relation between…
We describe a variety of searches for new physics beyond the Standard Model of particle physics which may be enabled in the coming years by the use of optically levitated masses in high vacuum. Such systems are expected to reach force and…
Quantum superposition is central to quantum theory but challenges our concepts of reality and spacetime when applied to macroscopic objects like Schr\"odinger's cat. For that reason, it has been a long-standing question whether quantum…
Whether quantum physics is universally valid is an open question with far-reaching implications. Intense research is therefore invested into testing the quantum superposition principle with ever heavier and more complex objects. Here we…
Optomechanics, the study of the mechanical interaction of light with matter, has proven to be a fruitful area of research that has yielded many notable achievements, including the direct detection of gravitational waves in kilometer-scale…
Quantum theory is incredibly successful, explaining the microscopic world with great accuracy, from the behaviour of subatomic particles to chemical reactions to solid-state electronics. There is not a single experimental finding…
Levitated optomechanics, a rapidly expanding field that employs light to monitor and manipulate the mechanical motion of levitated objects, is increasingly relevant across physics, engineering, and other fields. This technique, which…
Quantum physics challenges our understanding of the nature of physical reality and of space-time and suggests the necessity of radical revisions of their underlying concepts. Experimental tests of quantum phenomena involving massive…
Rapid experimental progress has recently allowed the use of light to prepare macroscopic mechanical objects into nearly pure quantum states. This research field of quantum optomechanics opens new doors toward testing quantum mechanics, and…
The possibility of long-baseline quantum experiments in space makes it necessary to better understand the time evolution of relativistic quantum particles in a weakly varying gravitational field. We explain why conventional treatments by…
The objective of the proposed MAQRO mission is to harness space for achieving long free-fall times, extreme vacuum, nano-gravity, and cryogenic temperatures to test the foundations of physics in macroscopic quantum experiments. This will…
Levitodynamics, i.e., the levitation of objects of mesoscopic size has made huge progress in the last decade, giving rise to new experimental opportunities for instance in materials science, but also allowing to address questions of…
Quantum physics has intrigued scientists and philosophers alike, because it challenges our notions of reality and locality--concepts that we have grown to rely on in our macroscopic world. It is an intriguing open question whether the…
Optomechanics is concerned with the use of light to control mechanical objects. As a field, it has been hugely successful in the production of precise and novel sensors, the development of low-dissipation nanomechanical devices, and the…
Levitated optomechanics, the interaction between light and small levitated objects, is a new macroscopic quantum system that is being used as a testing ground for fundamental physics and for the development of sensors with exquisite…
Optical force and torque provide unprecedented control on the spatial motion of small particles. A valid scientific question, that has many practical implications, concerns the existence of fundamental upper bounds for the achievable force…
Physical theories are developed to describe phenomena in particular regimes, and generally are valid only within a limited range of scales. For example, general relativity provides an effective description of the Universe at large length…
Rotations of microscale rigid bodies exhibit pronounced quantum phenomena that do not exist for their center-of-mass motion. By levitating nanoparticles in ultra-high vacuum, researchers are developing a promising platform for observing and…