NIST physicists have developed a new quantum squeezing technique that amplifies the motion of a single trapped magnesium ion by a factor of 7.3, allowing them to measure trillionths-of-a-meter motions with unprecedented sensitivity. The technique could enhance sensing of extremely weak electric fields and improve quantum computing operations by speeding up entanglement creation and quantum simulations.
The method works by manipulating quantum fluctuations in the ion’s position and momentum. By applying specific voltage patterns to electrodes surrounding the ion, the researchers can amplify small test signals while reversing the initial squeezing, effectively amplifying the ion’s motion. This allows them to measure motions as small as 50 picometers, which is about one-tenth the size of the smallest atom (hydrogen) and about one-hundredth the size of the unsqueezed quantum fluctuations.
The new squeezing method could be used to boost measurement sensitivity in quantum sensors and potentially speed up quantum computing operations by enabling faster entanglement creation and quantum simulations. The research was supported by the Army Research Office and the Office of Naval Research, and the findings were published in the June 21 issue of Science.
Keywords: Amplification, Squeezing, Entanglement, Sensitivity, Fluctuations
