This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies. Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Within tiny halos of light clinging to a vanishingly thin wisp of optical fiber, scientist Jongmin Lee guides atoms like marbles through a narrow pipe. Rock the fiber and the atoms shift side by side; they just don't fall off.
But don't be deceived by the seemingly delicate nature of his experiment. Lee is exploring how to measure motion precisely in rough-and-tumble environments. A quantum sensing scientist at Sandia National Laboratories, Lee is an expert in a type of motion sensor called an atom interferometer.
In a lab, this device uses quantum mechanics to obtain exquisitely accurate measurements. Lee and his team are working toward building an extremely small, low-power version for field use—small enough to fit on a specialized type of microchip called a photonic integrated circuit. Their latest results were published in the journal AVS Quantum Science, where the team reported trapping cesium atoms on a fiber only 420 nanometers in diameter with just 5 milliwatts of optical power—about 2,000 times less power than an LED bulb uses.
With just 150 nanowatts, the researchers can also take measurements that mimic atom interferometry. They also reported a new design for a heat-resistant membrane-waveguide, a next-generation prototype. Nanofibers provide a convenient, reliable testbed for the team's atom-guiding experiments but are currently impractical for real-world use.
"Our ultimate goal is to demonstrate this on a chip with a photonic integrated circuit, but our nanofiber results show a clear potential path toward chip-scale quantum inertial sensing," Lee said. The new trapping method uses roughly one-sixth to one-fourth as much power as previous approaches, marking a significant advance toward rugged, chip-scale atom interferometers that could help military vehicles navigate when GPS signals are jammed. If you want to jam satellite navigation signals, just let out an electromagnetic scream.
Overwhelmed by noise that drowns out signals from positioning satellites, an aircraft will have to rely on onboard acceleration and attitude sensors. This can work for a while, but eventually the aircraft will drift from its intended flight path. Quantum sensing offers a potential solution.
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