Measurement of fundamental physics and materials science have been made possible by the use of quantum sensor. The sensors have only been able to detect a few frequencies. Researchers at MIT have developed a way to allow such sensors to detect any arbitrary frequencies, without losing their ability to measure nanometer-scale features.
The new method, for which the team has already applied for patent protection, is described in a paper by graduate student Guoqing Wang, professor of nuclear science and engineering and of physics at MIT, and four others.
A quantum sensor is a system in which some particles are in such a balanced state that they can be affected by small variations in the fields they are exposed to. Research using neutral atoms, trapped ion, and solid state spins has grown rapidly. Physicists use them to investigate exotic states of matter, while other researchers use them to study practical devices. Today's quantum sensors can't detect a lot of other phenomena.
A beam of microwaves is used to inject a second frequency into the detector. The difference between the original and added frequencies of the field is converted into a different one by this method. The process allows the detector to home in on any desired frequencies with no loss in the sensor's spatial resolution.
In their experiments, the team used a device based on an array of nitrogen-vacancy centers in diamond and successfully demonstrated detection of a signal with a Frequency of 150 megahertz. They created a theoretical framework based on Floquet theory and tested its predictions in a series of experiments.
The same principle can be applied to any kind of sensor or quantum device. The source of the second Frequency would be packaged in a single device.
The system could be used to measure the performance of a microwave antenna. He says that it's very promising in that direction.
The use of large devices and strong magnetic fields makes it impossible to achieve the very high resolution that the new system offers. The magnetic field that is used to tune the sensor can break the quantum material properties, which can affect the phenomena that you want to measure.
A range of frequencies of electrical or magnetic activity at the level of a single cell is possible thanks to the system. She says that it would be hard to get useful resolution of such signals. It may be possible to use this system to detect output signals from a single neuron in response to some stimuli, which can be difficult to detect due to the large amount of noise.
Exotic materials such as 2D materials that are being intensely studied for their electrical, optical, and physical properties can be characterized with the system.
The team is looking for ways to expand the system to be able to probe a range of frequencies at the same time. Lincoln Laboratory, where some members of the research team are based, will be used to define the system's capabilities.
More information: Guoqing Wang et al, Sensing of Arbitrary-Frequency Fields Using a Quantum Mixer, Physical Review X (2022). DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevX.12.021061 Journal information: Physical Review XMIT News ( web.mit.edu/newsoffice/) is a popular site that covers news about MIT.
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