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Physics

Hearing the Quantum Difference

Michael Schirber

Published Jun 17, 2022• 0 citations
Publisher

Abstract

Hearing the Quantum DifferenceAt very low volume, a quantum optical microphone performs better than a classical device, and humans can hear the difference.By Michael Schirber Q uantum devices are often touted as performing better than classical ones, but the impact can seem far from our everyday lives.Researchers have now demonstrated a quantum optical microphone that listeners say produces a clearer sound than a classical counterpart [1].The microphone was tested under specific conditions (low volume and high noise), outside of which the quantum advantage would not be noticeable.Despite this limitation, the new quantum techniques could prove useful elsewhere: they could eventually be used to improve imaging of biological samples.Many high-precision measurements, such as gravitational-wave detection, rely on interferometers that measure interference effects, such as fringes, that arise when photons are sent through two possible paths.Using pairs of

DOI
10.1103/physics.15.87

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Hearing the Quantum DifferenceAt very low volume, a quantum optical microphone performs better than a classical device, and humans can hear the difference.By Michael Schirber Q uantum devices are often touted as performing better than classical ones, but the impact can seem far from our everyday lives.Researchers have now demonstrated a quantum optical microphone that listeners say produces a clearer sound than a classical counterpart [1].The microphone was tested under specific conditions (low volume and high noise), outside of which the quantum advantage would not be noticeable.Despite this limitation, the new quantum techniques could prove useful elsewhere: they could eventually be used to improve imaging of biological samples.Many high-precision measurements, such as gravitational-wave detection, rely on interferometers that measure interference effects, such as fringes, that arise when photons are sent through two possible paths.Using pairs of
The ability to perform high-precision optical measurements is paramount in science and engineering.Laser interferometry enables interaction-free sensing with a precision ultimately limited by shot noise.Quantum optical sensors can surpass this limit but single-or multiphoton schemes are challenged by low experimental sampling rates, while squeezed-light approaches require complex optical setups and sophisticated time gating.Here, we introduce a simple method that infers optical phase shifts through standard intensity measurements while still maintaining the quantum advantage in the measurement precision.Capitalizing on the robustness and high sampling rates of our device, we implement a quantum optical microphone in the audio band.Its performance is benchmarked against a classical laser microphone in a standardized medically approved speech-recognition test on 45 subjects.We find that quantum-recorded words improve the speech-recognition threshold by -0.57dB SPL , thus making the quantum advantage audible.Not only do these results open the door toward applications in quantum nonlinear interferometry but they also show that quantum phenomena can be experienced by humans.
Quantum science and technology are attracting world-wide attention due to the impacts they will have on computing and communications which have no classical counterpart. However, quantum also impacts imaging and sensing. Leaving aside how new detection technologies can sense both single photons and measure their arrival time with pico-second precision, the quantum nature of light enables new types of imaging system, which again have no easy classical implementation. This is brief overview of the historical development of quantum imaging focuses on how the photon pairs created through spontaneous parametric down-conversion lead to unusual imaging systems. Referring to the work from across the global community and some work of my own group we will consider which of these imaging approaches might be considered truly quantum and which might have classical analogies. In all cases I will emphasize those systems which seem to offer practical advantage over traditional approaches giving performance benefits in terms of resolution, signal to noise or wavelength coverage.
Quantum optical sensing is a technique that utilizes quantum mechanics to enhance, sensitivity and precision to a level considered unparalleled so far. This chapter attempts to introduce the reader to the basics of this fast-growing field along with various technologies and applications. It begins with an explanation of quantum mechanics, superposition, entanglement, and quantum coherence that allow sensors to go beyond classical performance. One of the central technologies is quantum entanglement – the phenomenon whereby several particles become instantaneous spouses and are measured with utmost precision, for instance, distance, time, and magnetic fields. Entanglement Interferometry is entanglement applied in the detection of gravitational waves and high-resolution imaging. Squeezed light, the other area of interest, is a method that removes some of the fluctuations in one parameter of light, to increase the interferometer sensor, to measure small movements and low-frequency gravitational waves. Single photon emitting devices and detectors enable high-sensitivity measurements in applications such as bioimaging and quantum-securing communication. The chapter also illustrates the usage of this technology in practice in healthcare, environment, and navigation, like the examination of biomarkers and pollutants. Last is the discussion of issues such as quantum coherence and issues of scalability and development of QTs, as well as the proposed further development and more potential advances for QTs as a medium for mass use.
The quantum realm is often portrayed as weird and nebulous, far removed from our everyday world. Subatomic particles can be in many places at once or linked across vast distances by the intimate connection known as entanglement. But researchers are now using this quantum fuzziness to forge a new set of practical tools. In this entanglement-assisted magnetometer, lenses, and other optical devices steer a laser beam to the small glass cell filled with cesium vapor, and a photodetector above records the effect of magnetic fields on light emitted by the cesium atoms. Image credit: Ola J. Joensen (Niels Bohr Institute, Copenhagen, Denmark). Although quantum computers gain the most headlines, a quieter revolution in the world of sensors may be just as profound. Quantum states, such as the spin of an electron, have a peculiar delicacy that is being exploited to detect tiny variations in gravity and magnetism, opening up a range of applications that could give us a clearer view of the world beneath our feet and provide deep insights into our own biology. This has become possible thanks to continuing advances in components such as lasers and cooling systems that allow researchers and engineers to manipulate the quantum states of atoms and measure how they are affected by their environment. “We are at this sweet spot where we have quantum systems under sufficient control,” says Kai Bongs, who leads the Quantum Sensors and Metrology Hub (1), a collaboration between academics and industry centered at the University of Birmingham in the United Kingdom. Some of the large vacuum systems and magnetic traps now used to hold cold atoms are being replaced with chip-scale devices, while researchers are developing compact, low-power lasers that could make quantum sensors much more accessible. “The early devices are still clumsy, but now we can start …