Quantum Sensor Breakthrough Using Naturally Occurring Vibrations in Artificial Atoms

(EurekaAlert) A team of scientists, led by the University of Bristol, have discovered a new method that could be used to build quantum sensors with ultra-high precision.
A collaborative team has now established that these naturally occurring vibrations in artificial atoms can surprisingly lead to an even greater suppression of fluctuations in brightness than that present in natural atomic systems. The team, which includes academics from the universities of Sheffield and Manchester, show that these low fluctuations could be used to build quantum sensors that are inherently more accurate than those possible without vibrations.
Dr Dara McCutcheon, principal investigator of the research and Lecturer in Quantum Engineering from the University of Bristol’s School of Physics said: “The implications of this research are quite far reaching.” This work points towards a new vision for these artificial atoms, in which their solid-state nature is actually put to good use to produce light that couldn’t be made using natural atomic systems.
It also opens the door to a new set of applications which use artificial atoms for quantum enhanced sensing, ranging from small scale magnetometry that could be used to measure signals in the brain, all the way up to full-scale gravitational wave detection revealing cosmic processes at the centre of galaxies.