Scientists have developed a groundbreaking method that can significantly enhance the ability of quantum sensors to detect incredible small signals, revolutionizing everything from medical imaging to basic physics research. The technology, published in Nature Communications on April 29, overcomes one of the most lasting limitations of quantum sensing through a clever stabilization approach.
For decades, quantum sensors have been limited by “rot” – quantum states caused by ambient noise. “Deformation causes random hype in the state of quantum systems to eliminate any quantum sensing signals,” explains Eli Levenson-Falk, associate professor at USC and senior author of the study.
Innovations of the research team temporarily offset this problem by using a predetermined coherent and stable protocol that maintains a key feature of the quantum state. This seemingly simple adjustment yielded significant results, with a maximum increase in measurement sensitivity of each measurement by 65% compared to the traditional method.
“Large signals are easier to detect, thus improving sensitivity,” Levenson-Falk said. “Our study gives the best sensitivity to detect quantum frequencies to date.”
Quantum sensing uses quantum systems, such as atoms, light particles, or Qubits, to measure physical quantities with extremely high accuracy. Matilda Hecht, lead author of physics doctoral student Matilda Hecht at USC Dornsife, provides this analogy: “Think of it as trying to hear a faint whisper in a noisy space. Quantum sensing devices detect things that are too small or weak to cause normal measurement tools to be noticed.”
The researchers demonstrated their protocol on superconducting Qubit—the basic building block of quantum computers. Their approach works by stabilizing one component of the quantum weight “Bloch vector”, thus enabling another component to use standard techniques greater than possible.
The most exciting aspect of the new protocol is its direct practicality in various quantum technologies. Unlike other quantum enhancement methods that require complex feedback systems or multiple interconnected quantum systems, the protocol requires no additional resources and can be implemented in existing quantum computing and sensing platforms.
“Our protocol does not require feedback, nor does it require additional control or measurement resources, so it is immediately applicable to a wide range of quantum computing and quantum sensor technologies,” Levenson-Falk stressed.
Breakthroughs can accelerate magnetic field sensing, medical imaging and detection of gravity abnormalities. It may also speed up the calibration process in quantum computing, where precise measurement of quantum frequency is crucial.
The study shows that there is still a lot of room for improving quantum sensing without using complex technologies. “This also shows that we have not yet extracted all possible information from these types of measurements,” Levenson-Falk notes. “Even better sensing protocols are there, and we can use them to make real-world impacts right away.”
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