Category Archives: Quantum Physics
Scientists Tracked Earth’s Rotation With Frankly Unbelievable Precision – Popular Mechanics
In a paper recently published in the journal
Interferometry is a technique involving displaced and refracted lightthe patterns created reveal what interfered in the first place. It was originally conceived of to help prove or disprove the idea that all the air around us was filled with a wild proposed material called luminiferous ether, but now its used in a lot of different scientific disciplines. Most interferometers use mirrors, curved lenses, and more to bend and recapture light waves, but some may be acoustic, using a crystal to resonate through a cloud of liquid or gas.
These setups predate the study of quantum mechanics, but the researchers from the Vienna Center explain in their paper how quantum interferometry improves on previous forms. [T]he enhanced sensitivity of quantum interferometers, they wrote, opens up opportunities for precision measurements that can explore new frontiers in physics.
Focusing on quantum phenomena like superposition instead of qualities based in the world of classical physics means we need even tinier readings than usual. Thats where quantum interferometry comes in, and its definitely more precise, but its also a work in progress. Over time, scientists are working to develop better and better ways to reduce noise (a quantum side effect) and other downsides to these methods.
In this research, scientists use an established paradigm called N00Nshort for a complex mathematical expressionwhere a cloud of n photons are all in the same state of superposition, and no non-superpositioned photons are allowed. A number of N00N states with two photons each are put into a prepared interferometer thats dozens of meters long on one side, using long fiber optic strands. Then, Earths rotation itself causes a measurable change within the photons.
It may seem silly to spend so much time and so many resources on clocking the speed of Earths rotationsomething we surely must know all about by now. A day is a certain length, and we know because we end up in the same place in about 24 hours ... right?
Mostly. But those facts reinforce what the problem is underneath. Earth is so enormous and steady that detecting tiny changes in its rotational state is actually very difficult.
To help, these researchers implemented helpful tools like a toggle that switches off how Earths rotation affected their interferometric setup, and they built their model to involve mapping the idea of rotation into a measurement that does not rotate like a calculus-based magic trick.
The results demonstrate not only the precision of their best-yet quantum interferometer, the researchers conclude, but also a milestone in our collective quest to marry general relativity and quantum mechanics into one unified theory. Indeed, being able to check the general, classical motion of the Earth against quantum phenomena could help move physics forward24 hours at a time.
Caroline Delbert is a writer, avid reader, and contributing editor at Pop Mech. She's also an enthusiast of just about everything. Her favorite topics include nuclear energy, cosmology, math of everyday things, and the philosophy of it all.
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Scientists Tracked Earth's Rotation With Frankly Unbelievable Precision - Popular Mechanics
New open-source software is greater than the sum of its parts – University of Waterloo
Accurate models of real-world scenarios are important for bringing theoretical and experimental research together in meaningful ways. Creating these realistic computer models, however, is a very large undertaking. Significant amounts of data, code, and expertise across a wide range of intricate areas are needed to create useful and comprehensive software.
Dr. Norbert Ltkenhaus, executive director of the Institute for Quantum Computing (IQC) and a professor in the University of Waterloos Department of Physics and Astronomy, alongside his research group, have spent the last several years developing accurate software models for research in quantum key distribution (QKD). QKD is a process for cryptography that harnesses fundamental principles of quantum mechanics to exchange secret keys, which can then be used to ensure secure communication.
Ltkenhaus and his research group recently released a modular, open-source software package on GitHub, which allows users to model realistic QKD protocols and calculate the generation rate for secure quantum keys using user-submitted variables for real-world scenarios.
Modelling and analyzing QKD setups require many different skills to come together. Our software framework allows experts in various areas like optimization theory, optical modelling and security analysis to bring their knowledge together, Ltkenhaus says. The open-source approach is designed to foster an interdisciplinary community from which all researchers will benefit.
Read more about this open-source QKD software package in the full story on Waterloo News.
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New open-source software is greater than the sum of its parts - University of Waterloo
UNBC assistant professor makes groundbreaking discovery in the field of quantum physics – CKPGToday.ca
While magnons are known to occur naturally they do not want to appear next to each other and will repel as soon as possible, dissipating that energy. However when the researchers shone terahertz light waves to excite the spins in a material with the chemical composition of BaCo2V2O8 they created magnon pairs that were bound together with nowhere for that energy to dissipate.
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They remain next to each other for at least 18 picoseconds. So its a very short time. but its enough for the detection to occur, continues Bernier. And it was surprising that it exists because in a solid theres supposed to be a lot of channels for dissipation. So, it should have been really easy to for this state to dissipate. But it turns out that we can observe it which was the big breakthrough.
While uses for this breakthrough are theoretical it could have the potential to drastically increase privacy when telecommunicating.
Theres this race going on right now about trying to find ways to communicate using quantum effects, says Bernier. It is possible that these bound state could be used to alter transport in spin chains, which is one of the possible devices that could that could be used for quantum telecommunication.
For now, physicist will be on the hunt for more materials that contain these exotically bound objects.
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Quantum sensing: quantum technology you’ve never heard of – Cosmos
Quantum physics has become ubiquitous across science over the past few years, often in connection to advances and investment in quantum computing research.
However, its quantum sensing where much of the investment in quantum technologies is directed and its a growing area of research.
It is true that quantum computers will one day offer us increased computing power and efficiency, however the goal of creating a fully-fledged quantum computer is many years away.
This is due to the engineering challenges involved; it is extremely difficult to maintain a qubit (the building block of a quantum computer) in a quantum state long enough to use it. Any outside perturbations cause the system to collapse, rendering it useless. Even the tiniest fluctuations in properties like magnetic and electric fields or temperature can cause the collapse of a quantum state.
This sensitivity presents an obvious challenge to the development of a quantum computer; however, researchers can harness this sensitivity, and access interactions and phenomena at levels well outside the range of conventional sensing approaches.
Todays quantum sensors have their roots in well-established techniques such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), which is founded on similar quantum mechanical principles. In an MRI experiment, individual nuclei are used as qubits, which report on their surrounding environment. Similarly, most modern quantum sensing uses either a nuclear or electronic spin as a qubit.
As the name suggests, MRIs measure how the magnetic field environment around hydrogen nuclei affects their behaviour. In many cases, modern quantum sensors are also used as highly sensitive magnetic field detectors. Unlike MRI however, they often combine magnetic field sensitivity with extremely high spatial resolution and the prospect of low cost and portability. Together, these attributes make them useful across a diverse collection of industries and research areas.
For example, one promising application of quantum sensing is the identification of novel materials for use in classical computers.
To maintain the utility of classical computers into the future, considerations around power consumption and size constraints will need to be addressed. Electrical engineers are interested in new materials, such as graphene and perovskite, which will offer benefits over traditional silicon-based devices.
Quantum sensing is helping to understand the magnetic behaviour of these novel materials; a vital requirement for selecting those worth further development.
As molecular biology has advanced, questions about the nature of intracellular interactions, such as those within or between individual proteins, have become the target of fundamental research. Quantum sensors can offer unique information at a higher resolution than compared to traditional techniques like light microscopy.
Researchers are hopeful that with this new level of detail, quantum sensing can be used to answer questions useful to medical science, such as how to design better drugs, the nature of neuronal signalling and how to more accurately diagnose disease. These goals are being addressed by the new 7-year, ARC Centre of Excellence on Quantum Biotechnology.
Quantum sensing has also seen strong uptake within the mineral resources sector where it can be used to identify new mineral extraction sites via the subtle magnetic fields they produce. SQUID magnetometers (Superconducting Quantum Interference Devices use quantised superconducting states as the sensor) are already deployed for this task and can detect magnetic fields many times smaller than the earths.
Finally, given their unique sensitivity, physicists are also interested in the new physical regimes quantum sensors could access. Quantum sensors may end up helping scientists answer some of physics most fundamental questions, such as the nature of dark matter or gravity. SQUIDs have recently been deployed at the Simons Observatory in Chile to help detect cosmic microwave background (CMB) radiation. In this case, instead of a magnetic signal, what is detected is the heat created when a CMB photon collides with a SQUID, disrupting its quantum state.
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Quantum sensing: quantum technology you've never heard of - Cosmos
Tiny Quantum Ghosts Might Be Creating Brand-New Elements – Popular Mechanics
In the beginning, there was lots and lots of hydrogen and heliumthat is until the fiery fusion furnaces of primordial stars began churning out heavier elements. Nuclear fusion can form elements all the way until an atom contains 26 protons and 30 neutrons (aka Iron) until it inevitably collapses. Of course, theres just one problem. If youve happened to glance at a periodic table lately, theres many more elements with atomic masses far beyond iron. So what gives?
Turns out theres another element-producing process at work, and its called neutron capture, or nucleosynthesis. This process breaks down into two different types, which are called rapid neutron-capture process (r-process) and slow neutron-capture process (s-process), and each are roughly responsible for creating half of the known elements beyond iron. As their names suggest, these processes occur in very different environments. R-process requires a high density of free neutrons (think neutron star mergers or supernova collapses) while s-process occurs in asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stars and
But as with most things in astrophysics, things are not quite so black and white. Back in 1977, scientists proposed a third process, known as the intermediate-process (i-process), that exists sort of in between both r- and s-processes. The idea faded with time but has regained attention in recent years due to the enigma known as carbon-enhanced metal-poor (CEMP) r/s stars, which produce abundances of carbon and heavy elements associated with both processes. Now, a new study from the University of WisconsinMadison investigates how exactly such an i-process would work, and the solution to this very big mystery veers into the very small quantum world.
When a supernova collapse occurs, you start with a big star, which is gravitationally bound, and that binding has energy, UW-Madisons Baha Balantekin, a co-author of a paper on the i-process published in The Astrophysical Journal, said in a press statement. While the i-process is a nucleosynthesis middle child, one aspect is shares with r-process is that it only occurs in similarly violent conditions. When it collapses, that energy has to be released, and it turns out that energy is released in neutrinos.
Its when those neutrinos experience quantum entanglement due to interactions in a supernova, that the i-process can take over and produce heavy elements. This entanglement means the two neutrinos remember each other no matter how far apart they may be. Using well-known rates of neutron capture, catalogs of atomic spectra of various stars, and data surrounding neutrino production via supernova, the team ran simplified simulations (supernovae produce 10^58 neutrinos after all) and arrive at differing abundances depending on whether these neutrinos were entangled or not.
We have a system of, say, three neutrinos and three antineutrinos together in a region where there are protons and neutrons and see if that changes anything about element formation, Balantekin says. We calculate the abundances of elements that are produced in the star, and you see that the entangled or not entangled cases give you different abundances.
There are a few things about this hypothesis that still need to be testedchief among them is that neutrino-neutrino interactions are largely hypothetical at this point. However, this new process could help further explain how something came from nothing.
Darren lives in Portland, has a cat, and writes/edits about sci-fi and how our world works. You can find his previous stuff at Gizmodo and Paste if you look hard enough.
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Tiny Quantum Ghosts Might Be Creating Brand-New Elements - Popular Mechanics
Manipulating the quantum dance of spinning electrons – Earth.com
In the world of spinning electrons and quantum states, an exciting realm thats reshaping our everyday lives through our gadgets, researchers have made a discovery that promises even more powerful storage and processing capacities.
Just like a compass needle aligns itself to a magnetic field, electrons possess an inherent angular momentum, termed as spin.
Beyond their electric charge, which dictates behavior in electronic circuits, their spin has become pivotal for storing and processing data.
Our current gadgets, such as MRAM memory elements (magnetic random access memories), information is stored via small classical magnets.
These comprise a myriad of electron spins. The MRAMs, in turn, operate on spin-aligned electron currents, which can shift magnetization at a certain point in a material.
Researcher Pietro Gambardella, and his team at ETH Zurich, discovered that spin-polarized currents can also govern the quantum states of single electron spins.
Their findings, freshly published in the scientific journal Science, promise great potential for controlling quantum states of quantum bits (qubits).
Electron spins have been traditionally manipulated utilizing electromagnetic fields like radio-frequency waves or microwaves, explains Sebastian Stepanow, a Senior Scientist in Gambardellas laboratory.
This established technique, known as electron paramagnetic resonance, traces back to the mid-1940s and has found use in assorted fields such as material research, chemistry, and biophysics.
However, the exact mechanism of inducing electron paramagnetic resonance in singular atoms has remained hazy.
To delve deeper into the quantum mechanical processes behind this mechanism, the researchers readied pentacene molecules (an aromatic hydrocarbon) onto a silver substrate.
A thin insulating layer of magnesium oxide, previously deposited on the substrate, ensures that the electrons in the molecule behave more or less as they would in free space.
The researchers used a scanning tunnelling microscope to measure the current created when the electrons tunnelled quantum mechanically from the tip of a tungsten needle to the molecule.
Classical physics would argue against this process, but quantum mechanics empowers the electrons to tunnel through the gap, generating a measurable current.
By applying a constant voltage and a rapidly oscillating voltage to a magnetized tungsten tip, and subsequently measuring the resulting tunnel current, the team was able to observe characteristic resonances in the tunnel current.
The shape of these resonances allowed them to infer the processes between the tunnelling electrons and those of the molecule.
Through their data analysis, Stepanow and his team reaped two critical insights.
Firstly, the electron spins in the pentacene molecule reacted to the electromagnetic field created by the alternating voltage, similar to ordinary electron paramagnetic resonance.
Secondly, they found an additional process at play that also influenced the spins of the electrons in the molecule.
This process is the so-called spin transfer torque, says PhD student Stepan Kovarik. Under the influence of a spin-polarized current, the spin of the molecule is altered without any direct action of an electromagnetic field.
The ETH researchers demonstrated that its possible to create quantum mechanical superposition states of the molecular electron spin, and these states are being used in quantum technologies.
Spin control by spin-polarized currents at the quantum level gives way to numerous potential applications, Kovarik predicts.
Contrary to electromagnetic fields, spin-polarized currents can act locally and be steered with a precision of less than a nanometer.
They could be deployed to address electronic circuit elements in quantum devices with extreme precision, thereby controlling the quantum states of magnetic qubits.
Time will tell how this exciting development will translate into practical applications in storing and processing data. But until then, thanks to the relentless curiosity of scientists like Gambardella, Stepanow, and Kovarik, our understanding of the quantum dance of electrons continues to evolve.
The full study was published in the journal Science.
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The Future of Quantum Computing with Neutral-Atom Arrays – The Quantum Insider
At the recent MCQST Colloquium held at the Max Planck Institute for Quantum Optics, Johannes Zeiher provided a compelling overview of the advances in quantum simulation and quantum computing with neutral-atom arrays. His presentation offered valuable insights into how these systems are poised to transform quantum technology.
Zeiher started by explaining the core motivation behind their work.
Our goal is to understand, control and create many-body systems using individually controllable neutral atoms, he stated. These neutral atoms, arranged using optical tweezers, serve as a powerful platform for studying quantum phenomena due to their high level of controllability and scalability.
One of the key advantages of neutral-atom arrays is their ability to simulate complex quantum systems.
We can use these systems to study strongly correlated systems, transport out of equilibrium dynamics, and phase transitions, Zeiher elaborted. This capability is vital for exploring fundamental aspects of quantum mechanics and for developing new technological applications.
Zeiher also stressed the importance of long-range interactions in these systems.
Long-range interactions introduce competing length scales, which can lead to rich and complex physical phenomena, he noted. By manipulating these interactions, researchers can simulate various phases of matter, such as the superfluid and Mott insulator phases, and even more exotic states like the Haldane insulator and density wave phases.
In terms of practical applications, Zeiher discussed the potential of neutral-atom arrays in quantum computing.
Neutral atoms offer a promising platform for quantum computing due to their scalability and the high fidelity of quantum gates, he said. Recent advancements have pushed the fidelity of two-qubit gates to over 99.5%, putting them on par with other leading quantum computing platforms.
One of the groundbreaking techniques Zeiher discussed is the use of Rydberg dressing. By coupling atoms off-resonantly to Rydberg states, researchers can induce long-range interactions while maintaining a high level of stability. He explained that Rydberg dressing allows them to significantly enhance the lifetime of these states, enabling complex quantum simulations and computations over extended periods.
Zeiher concluded his talk by drawing attention to the broader implications of their research.
The ability to control and manipulate neutral atoms with such precision opens up new frontiers in both quantum simulation and quantum computing, he remarked.
The insights from these systems do not just allow one to push understanding in the realm of quantum mechanics further. Still, they will also serve as a frontier toward innovative technologies that have the potential to be revolutionary in most fields, from materials science to cryptography.
Zeiher uncovered the revolutionizing potential that neutral-atom arrays bear in quantum technology in his talk at the MCQST Colloquium. Given developments in controlling long-range interactions and fidelity of quantum gates, these systems will be of great importance for the future of quantum computing and simulation.
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The Future of Quantum Computing with Neutral-Atom Arrays - The Quantum Insider
Yes, the Most Massive Particle Shows Some ‘Spooky Action At a Distance’ – Popular Mechanics
At its bare essentials, every atom is made of two fundamental particles: electrons and quarks. But not all quarks are the same. In fact,
Top quarks weigh in at an impressive 175.6 gigaelectron volts (GeV)about the same mass of the atomic nucleus of goldbut only exist for 15 to 24 seconds before decaying into free particles. Because of the top quarks (relatively) massive bulk, it took decades after the discovery of the bottom quark for the U.S.-based Fermilabs to create an accelerator capable of detecting the elusive particle.
In the 30 years since, investigating the top quark has opened up new worlds of particle physics, and the discovery of the Higgs boson in 2012 revealed the two particles close association. Now, scientists at CERN have been busy investigating the top quarks quantum properties, and discovered that top quarks experience quantum entanglement like other elementary particles even in spite of their mass.
In the fall of 2023, the Toroidal LHC Apparatus (ATLAS) Experiment discovered entanglement between two top quarks, and earlier this week, another CERN detectorthe Compact Muon Solenoid (CMS)also detected quantum entanglement between top quarks, according to CERN. Specifically, the team discovered entanglement between the unstable top quark and its antimatter partner across distances farther than what can be covered by information transferred at the speed of light, according to a press release. In the famous words of Albert Einstein, that is what's known as spooky action at distance.
To help illustrate this strange effect of quantum mechanics, Regina Demina from the University of Rochesterwho was part of the original team that discovered the top quark in 1995, co-lead a team that built the tracking device for finding the Higgs boson, and now led the CMS team at the Large Hadron Collider at CERNdescribes the idea in colorful terms via a Facebook video:
This kind of entanglement has been a hot topic when it comes to exploring quantum information and quantum computers, but top quarks can only be made in colliders. So, while they wont be used in these types of next-gen machines, the discovery of their entanglement could answer questions about this the nature of this spooky action from a distancequestions like whether that entanglement continues once a particle decays, and what eventually breaks that entanglement.
Its been a long journey of discovery when it comes to the top quark, and there are likely many more mysteries yet to uncover.
Darren lives in Portland, has a cat, and writes/edits about sci-fi and how our world works. You can find his previous stuff at Gizmodo and Paste if you look hard enough.
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Yes, the Most Massive Particle Shows Some 'Spooky Action At a Distance' - Popular Mechanics
Rare form of quantum matter created with molecules for the first time – Earth.com
Scientists have produced a rare form of quantum matter known as a Bose-Einstein condensate (BEC) using molecules instead of atoms.
Made from chilled sodium-cesium molecules, these BECs are as chilly as five nanoKelvin, or about -459.66 F, and stay stable for a remarkable two seconds.
These molecular BECs open up an new research arenas, from understanding truly fundamental physics to advancing powerful quantum simulations, noted Columbia University physicist Sebastian Will. Weve reached an exciting milestone, but its just the kick-off.
A Bose-Einstein Condensate (BEC) represents a state of matter that occurs when a collection of bosons, particles that follow Bose-Einstein statistics, are cooled to temperatures very close to absolute zero.
Under such extreme conditions, a significant fraction of the bosons occupy the lowest quantum state, resulting in macroscopic quantum phenomena.
This means that they behave as a single quantum entity, effectively collapsing into a single wave function that can be easily described using the principles of quantum mechanics.
The fascinating aspect of BECs stems from their superfluid properties exhibiting zero viscosity as they flow, which allows them to move without dissipating energy.
This unique property enables BECs to simulate other quantum systems and explore new realms of physics.
For instance, studying BECs can provide insights into quantum coherence, phase transitions, and many-body interactions in quantum gases.
The creation of molecular BECs, like those involving sodium-cesium molecules, extends this exploration even further, potentially leading to breakthroughs in quantum computing and precision measurements.
The journey of BECs is a long and winding one, dating back a century to the works of physicists Satyendra Nath Bose and Albert Einstein.
They prophesied that a cluster of particle cooled to the brink of standstill would merge into a singular macro-entity, governed by the dictates of quantum mechanics. The first true atomic BECs emerged in 1995, 70 years after the original theoretical predictions.
Atomic BECs have always been relatively simple round objects with minimal polarity-based interactions. But the scientific community came to crave a more complex version of BECs compiled of molecules, albeit with no avail.
Finally, in 2008, the first breakthrough came when a duo of physicists chilled a gas of potassium-rubidium molecules to about 350 nanoKelvin. The quest for achieving an even lower temperature to cross the BEC threshold continued.
In 2023, the initial step towards this goal was achieved when the research group created their desired ultracold sodium-cesium molecule gas using a blend of laser cooling and magnetic manipulations. To further decrease the temperature, they decided to introduce microwaves.
Microwaves can construct small shields around each molecule, preventing them from colliding and leading to a drop in the overall temperature of the sample.
The groups achievement of creating a molecular BEC represents a spectacular accomplishment in quantum control technology.
This brilliant piece of scientific work is bound to impact a multitude of scientific fields, from the study of quantum chemistry to the exploration of complex quantum materials.
We really have a thorough understanding of the interactions in this system, which is vital for the subsequent steps, like exploring dipolar many-body physics, said co-author and Columbia postdoc Ian Stevenson.
The research team developed schemes to control interactions, tested these from a theoretical angle, and executed them in the actual experiment. Its truly wondrous to witness the realization of these microwave shielding concepts in the lab.
The creation of molecular BECs enables the fulfilment of numerous theoretical predictions. The stable nature of these molecular BECs allows extensive exploration of quantum physics.
A proposition to build artificial crystals with BECs held in a laser-made optical lattice might provide a comprehensive simulation of interactions in natural crystals.
On switching from a three-dimensional system to a two-dimensional one, new physics is expected to emerge. This area of research opens up a plethora of possibilities in the study of quantum phenomena, including superconductivity and superfluidity, amongst others.
This feels like a whole new universe of possibilities unveiling itself, Sebastian Will concluded, summing up the enthusiasm in the scientific community.
In summary, this research chronicles the successful creation of a Bose-Einstein Condensate (BEC) using ultracold sodium-cesium molecules, reaching a stable state at five nanoKelvin for two seconds.
Leveraging a combination of laser cooling, magnetic manipulations, and innovative microwave shielding, the research group and their theoretical collaborator achieved unprecedented control over molecular interactions at quantum levels.
This milestone enables comprehensive exploration of quantum phenomena such as coherence, phase transitions, and many-body interactions, potentially unlocking new avenues in quantum simulations, quantum computing, and precision measurements.
The full study was published in the journal Nature.
Special thanks to Ellen Neff from Columbia University.
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What is a ‘kugelblitze’ and why should you care? – Earth.com
For nearly the last seventy years, the corridors of astrophysics have been echoing with the murmur of an exciting theory: the existence of kugelblitze.
These are not your average black holes. They are born not from the collapse of matter, but conceived through incredibly dense concentrations of light.
Kugelblitze have been speculated as the potential key to unlocking mysteries of the universe, like dark matter, and perhaps more enticingly, powering spaceships of the future.
However, this extraordinary theory has just hit a roadblock.
A formidable team of researchers from the University of Waterloo and Universidad Complutense de Madrid, led by the brilliant Eduardo Martn-Martnez, a professor of applied mathematics and mathematical physics, has established that kugelblitz might not be a reality in our universe.
Their compelling research, conveniently titled No black holes from light, is soon to be published in the Physical Review Letters after a preprint on arXiv.
The quantum realm and black holes share intriguing connections. Quantum mechanics governs the behavior of particles at the smallest scales. Black holes represent extreme gravity at cosmic scales.
Scientists believe quantum effects become important near a black holes center. Hawking radiation, a quantum phenomenon, causes black holes to slowly evaporate.
The black hole information paradox arises from conflicts between quantum theory and general relativity.
Researchers study black holes to better understand quantum gravity. Some theories propose black holes as gateways to other universes via quantum effects.
The relationship between these realms remains an active area of research in theoretical physics.
The most commonly known black holes are those caused by enormous concentrations of regular matter collapsing under its own gravity, said Prof. Martn-Martnez, who is also affiliated with the Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics. However, this prediction was made without considering quantum effects.
Trying to shed light on the matter, the team built a mathematical model, incorporating quantum effects.
They found that the concentration of light needed to spawn a kugelblitz outpaces the light intensity found in quasars, the brightest objects in our cosmos, by tens of orders of magnitude.
Long before you could reach that intensity of light, certain quantum effects would occur first, Jos Polo-Gmez, a Ph.D. candidate in applied mathematics and quantum information, remarked.
That strong of a concentration of light would lead to the spontaneous creation of particles like electron-positron pairs, which would move very quickly away from the area.
Though testing such effects on Earth isnt possible with current technologies, the teams confidence in their findings stems from the rock-solid principles of mathematics and science, that also power positron emission tomography (PET) scans.
Electrons, and their antiparticles (positrons) can annihilate each other and disintegrate into pairs of photons, or light particles, Martn-Martnez explained.
When there is a large concentration of photons they can disintegrate into electron-positron pairs, which are quickly scattered away taking the energy with them and preventing the gravitational collapse.
While the sprint towards kugelblitze mightve hit an unexpected speed breaker, the research is a massive victory for fundamental physics.
This collaborative effort between applied mathematics, the Perimeter Institute, and the Institute for Quantum Computing at Waterloo is laying the foundation for future significant scientific breakthroughs.
While these discoveries may not have known applications right now, we are laying the groundwork for our descendants technological innovations, Polo-Gmez ambitiously outlines.
The science behind PET scan machines was once just as theoretical, and now theres one in every hospital.
As we conclude this enlightening journey, lets remember science is not just about confirming theories but also about disproving them. Todays quantum quirks are the stepping stones for tomorrows path-breaking technologies.
While kugelblitze may not have panned out the way they were imagined, theyve undoubtedly illuminated a new direction for further exploration.
Whether its understanding the universe or developing technologies for future generations, every eureka moment counts, including those that remind us of what is not possible.
And in this vast expanse of what we know and what remains unknown, one fact remains resolute on the journey of scientific discovery, theres never a dull moment.
The full study was published in the journal arXiv.
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What is a 'kugelblitze' and why should you care? - Earth.com