To test the quantum nature of gravity in a laboratory requires witnessing the entanglement between the two test masses (nanocrystals) solely due to the gravitational interaction kept at a distance in a spatial superposition. The protocol is known as the quantum-gravity-induced entanglement of masses (QGEM). One of the main backgrounds in the QGEM experiment is electromagnetic (EM) -induced entanglement and decoherence. The EM interactions can entangle the two neutral masses via dipole-dipole vacuum-induced interactions, such as the Casimir-Polder interaction. To mitigate the EM-induced interactions between the two nanocrystals, we enclose the two interferometers in a Faraday cage and separate them by a conducting plate. However, any imperfection on the surface of a nanocrystal, such as a permanent dipole moment, will also create an EM background interacting with the conducting plate in the experimental box. These interactions will further generate EM-induced dephasing, which we wish to mitigate. In this paper, we will consider a parallel configuration of the QGEM experiment, where we will estimate the EM-induced dephasing rate and run-by-run systematic errors which will induce dephasing, and also provide constraints on the size of the superposition in a model-independent way of creating the spatial superposition.
more »
« less
Micrometer-size spatial superpositions for the QGEM protocol via screening and trapping
The quantum gravity-induced entanglement of masses (QGEM) protocol for testing quantum gravity using entanglement witnessing utilizes the creation of spatial quantum superpositions of two neutral, massive matter-wave interferometers kept adjacent to each other, separated by a distance . The mass and the spatial superposition should be such that the two quantum systems can entangle solely via the quantum nature of gravity. Despite being charge-neutral, many electromagnetic backgrounds can also entangle the systems such as the dipole-dipole and Casimir-Polder interactions. To minimize electromagnetic-induced interactions between the masses, it is pertinent to isolate the two superpositions by a conducting plate. However, the conducting plate will also exert forces on the masses and hence the trajectories of the two superpositions would be affected. To minimize this effect, we propose to trap the two interferometers such that the trapping potential dominates over the attraction between the conducting plate and the matter-wave interferometers. The superpositions can still be created via the Stern-Gerlach effect in the direction parallel to the plate, where the trapping potential is negligible. The combination of trapping and shielding provides a better parameter space for the parallel configuration of the experiment, where the requirement on the size of the spatial superposition, to witness the entanglement between the two masses purely due to their quantum nature of gravity, decreases by at least two orders of magnitude as compared to the original protocol paper. Published by the American Physical Society2024
more »
« less
- Award ID(s):
- 2110524
- PAR ID:
- 10557347
- Publisher / Repository:
- American Physical Society
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- Physical Review Research
- Volume:
- 6
- Issue:
- 1
- ISSN:
- 2643-1564
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
More Like this
-
-
The gravity from the quantum entanglement of space-time (GQuEST) experiment uses tabletop-scale Michelson laser interferometers to probe for fluctuations in space-time. We present a practicable interferometer design featuring a novel photon-counting readout method that provides unprecedented sensitivity, as it is not subject to the interferometric standard quantum limit. We evaluate the potential of this design to measure space-time fluctuations motivated by recent “geontropic” quantum gravity models. The accelerated accrual of Fisher information offered by the photon-counting readout enables GQuEST to detect the predicted quantum gravity phenomena within measurement times at least 100 times shorter than equivalent conventional interferometers. The GQuEST design, thus, enables a fast and sensitive search for signatures of quantum gravity in a laboratory-scale experiment. Published by the American Physical Society2025more » « less
-
We simulate the dynamics of Rydberg atoms resonantly exchanging energy via two-, three-, and four-body dipole-dipole interactions in a one-dimensional array. Using simplified models of a realistic experimental system, we study the initial-state survival probability, mean level spacing, spread of entanglement, and properties of the energy eigenstates. By exploring a range of disorders and interaction strengths, we find regions in parameter space where the three- and four-body dynamics either fail to thermalize or do so slowly. The interplay between the stronger hopping and weaker field-tuned interactions gives rise to quantum many-body scar states, which play a critical role in slowing the dynamics of the three- and four-body interactions. Published by the American Physical Society2024more » « less
-
We study the problem of implementing arbitrary permutations of qubits under interaction constraints in quantum systems that allow for arbitrarily fast local operations and classical communication (LOCC). In particular, we show examples of speedups over swap-based and more general unitary routing methods by distributing entanglement and using LOCC to perform quantum teleportation. We further describe an example of an interaction graph for which teleportation gives a logarithmic speedup in the worst-case routing time over swap-based routing. We also study limits on the speedup afforded by quantum teleportation—showing an upper bound on the separation in routing time for any interaction graph—and give tighter bounds for some common classes of graphs. Published by the American Physical Society2024more » « less
-
The transport and capture of photo-induced electronic excitations is of fundamental interest to the design of energy efficient quantum technologies and to the study of potential quantum effects in biology. Using a simple quantum optical model, we examine the influence of coherence, entanglement, and cooperative dissipation on the transport and capture of excitation energy. We demonstrate that the rate of energy extraction is optimized under conditions that minimize the quantum coherence and entanglement of the system, which is a consequence of spontaneous parity time-reversal symmetry breaking. We then examine the effects of vibrational disorder and show that dephasing can be used to enhance the transport of delocalized excitations in settings relevant to biological photosynthesis. Our results highlight the rich, emergent behavior associated with the quantum-to-classical transition with relevance to the design of room-temperature quantum devices. Published by the American Physical Society2024more » « less