Periodic Reporting for period 1 - MAGIQUE (MeAsurement of Gravitational effects on photonIc QUantum systEm)
Berichtszeitraum: 2022-06-01 bis 2024-05-31
MAGIQUE aims to examine the influence of gravity on quantum effects in fiber photonic systems. High-precision interferometry whose paths are subject to different gravitational potentials will be performed at the level of photons. Demonstration of a gravitationally-induced phase shift on single photons would be the very first time in the world and open the path to unique GR-QM interplay experiments. This will also push the limits of quantum optics, single-photon fiber interferometry and quantum gravity theory.
The two main goals of MAGIQUE are:
1. Making a leap to large-scale fiber interferometry with quantum enhancement.
This will be enabled by achieving the expected stabilization and sensitivity of the proposed single photon fiber interferometer, adapting state-of-art single-photon manipulation systems and extreme-precision readout techniques. This will open the path for handling large-scale interferometric setups with path-entangled quantum states, leading the way to relativistic measurements on gravitationally-induced effects.
2. Testing the effect of gravity on quantum superposition and entanglement for the first time.
This will be enabled by detecting gravitationally-induced phase shifts by interfering light from continuous-wave (CW) laser and/or single photons following trajectories on different gravitational potentials. This will be the very first non-Newtonian gravitational test in a truly quantum system, paving the way for potential new quantum gravity theories.
The two main goals of MAGIQUE are:
1. Making a leap to large-scale fiber interferometry with quantum enhancement.
This will be enabled by achieving the expected stabilization and sensitivity of the proposed single photon fiber interferometer, adapting state-of-art single-photon manipulation systems and extreme-precision readout techniques. This will open the path for handling large-scale interferometric setups with path-entangled quantum states, leading the way to relativistic measurements on gravitationally-induced effects.
2. Testing the effect of gravity on quantum superposition and entanglement for the first time.
This will be enabled by detecting gravitationally-induced phase shifts by interfering light from continuous-wave (CW) laser and/or single photons following trajectories on different gravitational potentials. This will be the very first non-Newtonian gravitational test in a truly quantum system, paving the way for potential new quantum gravity theories.
1. Exploiting single photons in path-entangled NOON state to enhance the phase sensitivity of the 2-km fiber interferometer and measure the Earth rotation via the Sagnac effect.
Dr. Yu Interface with the existing 2-km, 650-meter squared fiber interferometer and single photon manipulation systems.
Dr. Yu built the single-photon part of the experiment and commissioned the Sagnac interferometer with NOON states to successfully reach the expected sensitivity.
Dr. Yu and the PhD student she mentored measured the effect of Earth-rotation using the quantum-enhanced Sagnac interferometer.
2. Gravitational phase shift measurement at the single photon level
Using skills and techniques gained in 1, Dr. Yu built an independent single-photon source for the experiment and explore detection systems. The photon source has achieved 1 MHz as desired.
The innovative 40-km lab-compatible fiber interferometer was designed and examined with calculations and modeling.
3. Control systems of the 10-km MZI fiber interferometer.
Dr. Yu worked on the dual-frequency Doppler noise cancellation technique for stabilization and commissioning of the MZI system to establish the desired phase sensitivity.
4. We propose an experiment that uses single photon detection interferometry to search for axions and axion-like particles in the galactic halo.
Dr. Yu Interface with the existing 2-km, 650-meter squared fiber interferometer and single photon manipulation systems.
Dr. Yu built the single-photon part of the experiment and commissioned the Sagnac interferometer with NOON states to successfully reach the expected sensitivity.
Dr. Yu and the PhD student she mentored measured the effect of Earth-rotation using the quantum-enhanced Sagnac interferometer.
2. Gravitational phase shift measurement at the single photon level
Using skills and techniques gained in 1, Dr. Yu built an independent single-photon source for the experiment and explore detection systems. The photon source has achieved 1 MHz as desired.
The innovative 40-km lab-compatible fiber interferometer was designed and examined with calculations and modeling.
3. Control systems of the 10-km MZI fiber interferometer.
Dr. Yu worked on the dual-frequency Doppler noise cancellation technique for stabilization and commissioning of the MZI system to establish the desired phase sensitivity.
4. We propose an experiment that uses single photon detection interferometry to search for axions and axion-like particles in the galactic halo.
1. Dr. Yu and colleagues present a table-top experiment using maximally path-entangled quantum states of light in an interferometer with an area of 715 meter squared, sensitive enough to measure the rotation rate of Earth. A rotatable setup and an active area switching technique allow us to control the coupling of Earth's rotation to an entangled pair of single photons. The achieved sensitivity of 5 μrad/s constitutes the highest rotation resolution ever achieved with optical quantum interferometers, surpassing previous work by three orders of magnitude. To the best of our knowledge, this is the largest quantum-optical Sagnac interferometer in the world, surpassing previous state-of-the-art rotation sensors employing two-particle entanglement. This measurement represents a significant milestone in the development of larger-scale quantum interferometers. Our result demonstrates the feasibility of extending the utilization of maximally entangled quantum states to large-scale interferometers. Further improvements to our methodology will enable measurements of general-relativistic effects on entangled photons opening the way to further enhance the precision of fundamental measurements to explore the interplay between quantum mechanics and general relativity along with searches for new physics.
2. For the first time, Dr. Yu proposes an experiment that uses single photon detection interferometry to search for axions and axion-like particles in the galactic halo. It is shown that photon counting with a dark rate of 6E-6 Hz can improve the quantum sensitivity of axion interferometry by a factor of 50 compared to the quantum-enhanced heterodyne readout for 5-m long optical resonators. The proposed experimental method has the potential to be scaled up to kilometer-long facilities, enabling the detection or setting of constraints on the axion-photon coupling coefficient of 1E-17 - 1E-16 GeV-1 for axion masses ranging from 0.1 to 1 neV, achieving an unprecedented sensitivity of axion detection.
2. For the first time, Dr. Yu proposes an experiment that uses single photon detection interferometry to search for axions and axion-like particles in the galactic halo. It is shown that photon counting with a dark rate of 6E-6 Hz can improve the quantum sensitivity of axion interferometry by a factor of 50 compared to the quantum-enhanced heterodyne readout for 5-m long optical resonators. The proposed experimental method has the potential to be scaled up to kilometer-long facilities, enabling the detection or setting of constraints on the axion-photon coupling coefficient of 1E-17 - 1E-16 GeV-1 for axion masses ranging from 0.1 to 1 neV, achieving an unprecedented sensitivity of axion detection.