Floating Nanodiamonds Act as Tiniest Spinning Mirror Balls Globally
Small-scale dance parties are in full swing in the quantum realm! Purdue University researchers have crafted minuscule levitating discos, complete with ultra-tiny diamonds the size of 350 human DNA strands, that twirl like a disco ball while spinning at unfathomable speeds.
These micro-sized festivities are part of a groundbreaking study to precisely measure the interplay between quantum mechanics and gravity. While previous attempts to levitate nanodiamonds have encountered difficulties in maintaining vacuum and detecting spin qubits, Purdue's team managed to levitate a diamond with a special ion trap, something thought to be impossible before.
Qubits, quanta's smart counterpart to binary bits, are the very essence of quantum information. These tiny particles are essential for understanding the relationship between the quantum world and the macroscopic realm. Purdue's researchers spun the diamond at an incredible 1.2 billion rotations per minute to create the ideal conditions for studying its behavior.
To make these mini-diamonds dance, the researchers crafted a sapphire wafer using photolithography, the same technique used to manufacture computer chips, and then gilded it with 300 nanometers of gold. The diamonds, which averaged 750 nanometers in size, were formed using high temperatures and immense pressure, accelerating the natural process that creates those lovely rocks we know. Inside these sparkly gems were tiny electron spin qubits structures.
To read the diamonds' spin, the team directed a green laser at it, causing it to emit red light. By analyzing the emitted light, the researchers could determine the electrons' spin states. To keep track of the nanodiamond's rotation, another laser was used, and as it twirled, it scattered the lasers' infrared light like a tiny disco ball.
The team's findings are detailed in a recent paper published in Nature Communications. While their discovery deepens our understanding of quantum physics, the researchers believe there are practical applications too, such as developing accurate accelerometers and electric field sensors.
Sadly, no word yet on whether their research has led to teeny tiny glow sticks—but we're keeping our fingers crossed!
- Purdue University researchers have utilized technology such as photolithography, typically used in manufacturing computer chips, to create a sapphire wafer that helps levitate nanodiamonds in a study exploring the intersection of quantum mechanics and gravity.
- Contrary to previous attempts, Purdue's team successfully levitated a nanodiamond using an ion trap, a feat believed to be impossible before, which is instrumental in understanding the behavior of quantum qubits.
- The team discovered that by spinning the nanodiamonds at an average speed of 1.2 billion rotations per minute, they could produce ideal conditions to study the diamonds' behavior, containing structures of tiny electron spin qubits within.
- The researchers managed to read the spin of these nanodiamonds by directing a green laser at them, causing red light emission, and tracking their rotation by scattering infrared light with another laser, making them resemble a miniature disco ball.
