Researchers at NIST have demonstrated that large mechanical objects can exhibit quantum properties, such as “squeezed” motion. This involves shifting all uncertainty to a single variable, allowing the other variable to be measured with arbitrary accuracy. The team used a device that couples two microwave circuits to a cooled aluminum membrane, driving its vibration state while measuring it without destroying the delicate quantum state. This achievement builds on previous work measuring the “zero-point” motion of a tiny metal membrane cooled near absolute zero. The research aims to engineer the mechanical equivalent of a quantum superposition state, which could lead to new technology for quantum networks and information processing.
Source: https://www.nist.gov/news-events/news/2015/12/squeezed-motion-massive-object
Keywords: Squeezing, Quantum, Mechanical, State, Superposition
