Physicists Discover a New Way to 'See' Objects Without Looking at Them

To measure an object we need to interact with it. It's almost impossible to look without touching it, whether it's by a poke, a sound wave, or a shower of light.

There are some exceptions in quantum physics.

There is a way to see a microwave pulse without light waves being absorbed. An example of an interaction-free measurement is this one.

The idea of looking without touching has been around for a long time. Physicists have shown that it's possible to use the wave-like nature of light to explore spaces without replicating its particle-like behavior.

The team used microwaves and Semiconductors instead of lasers and Mirrors. A transmon device was used to detect the wave.

These devices mimic the quantum behavior of individual particles on multiple levels using a superconducting circuit.

The presence of a photosensitive object is determined without irreversible photon absorption if the interaction-free measurement is used.

A three-level transmon circuit is used to demonstrate the idea of coherent interaction-free detection.

The team relied on the ability of objects to occupy two different states at the same time in order to make their setup successful.

It was necessary to adapt the concept to the different experimental tools available.

The standard interaction-free protocol had to be changed in order to add another layer of quantumness. The three-level system was used as a resource.

The results of the experiments were confirmed by theoretical models. The ability for quantum devices to go beyond what is possible with classical devices is called the quantum advantage.

Touching things is like breaking them. There is nothing that ruins a wave of probability. Alternative methods of detecting can be used for cases where detection needs a more gentle touch.

The areas in which this protocol can be applied are quantum computing. The systems involved would be more efficient.

Paraoanu says that their method could be used in quantum computing. It can be seen as a highly efficient way of getting information.

The research has appeared in a journal.