Physicists like to measure things, and they like those measurements to be as precise as possible. That means working at unfathomably small scales, where distances are much smaller than even the diameters of subatomic particles. Researchers also want to measure time down to a precision of less than one second per tens of billions of years. The quest for these ultraprecise measurements in physics is part of a growing field called quantum metrology.

Measuring tiny magnetic fields, such as those generated by brain waves, enables many new novel opportunities for medical diagnostics and treatment. The research team led by Dr. Jan Jeske at Fraunhofer IAF is working on a globally innovative approach to precise magnetic field measurements: Laser Threshold Magnetometry. The researchers have now combined an NV diamond and a laser diode in a resonator, successfully demonstrating the sensor system with two active media for the first time. This outstanding paper has been published in Science Advances and represents a significant progress in the BMBF-funded research project NeuroQ.

The new design developed by Dash and the lab of U-M physicist Georg Raithel uses a special kind of laser beam that traps atoms in a pinwheel-shaped geometry, which can be scaled from a 30 micron radius, smaller than the diameter of a human hair, and up to about 10 times larger, about 300 microns. The researchers’ design is published in the journal AVS Quantum Science.

QuantumDiamonds GmbH, a pioneer in quantum sensing technology, announced the release of the QD m.0, the first commercial quantum device designed for semiconductor chip failure analysis. This advanced system utilizes diamond-based quantum microscopy to deliver unprecedented precision in detecting and localizing faults in integrated circuits, meeting the increasing testing demands for heterogeneous integration in modern semiconductor fabrication.

In a new paper published in Physical Review Research, Tohoku University's Dr. Le Bin Ho explores the effectiveness of the squeezing technique in enhancing the precision of measurements in quantum systems with multiple factors. The analysis provides theoretical and numerical insights, aiding in the identification of mechanisms for achieving maximum precision in these intricate measurements.

University of Waterloo researchers have successfully demonstrated the ability to measure and reset a trapped ion qubit to a known state without disturbing neighbouring qubits just a few micrometres away — a distance smaller than the width of a human hair, which is about 100 micrometres thick.

In an article published today in Nature, the ATLAS collaboration reports how it succeeded in observing quantum entanglement at the LHC for the first time, between fundamental particles called top quarks and at the highest energies yet. First reported by ATLAS in September 2023 and since confirmed by two observations made by the CMS collaboration, this result has opened up a new perspective on the complex world of quantum physics.

A breakthrough in quantum technology research could help realise a new generation of precise quantum sensors that can operate at room temperature. The research—carried out by an international team of researchers from the University of Glasgow, Imperial College London, and UNSW Sydney—shows how the quantum states of molecules can be controlled and sensitively detected under ambient conditions.

Now, a team of researchers of the Max Planck Institute for the Structure and Dynamics of Matter (MPSD) in Germany and Brookhaven National Laboratory in the United States has demonstrated a new way to study disorder in superconductors using terahertz pulses of light. Adapting methods used in nuclear magnetic resonance to terahertz spectroscopy, the team was able to follow the evolution of disorder in the transport properties up to the superconducting transition temperature for the first time.

Bluefors, the world leader in manufacturing cryogenic measurement systems for quantum technology, held the opening for its expanded production facility in Syracuse, New York. This expanded facility will increase the production capacity for its Cryomech-branded cryocoolers, enhance its R&D operations, and enable Bluefors to begin manufacturing dilution refrigerators at the site – for the first time in the USA.