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Orientational Ground-State Cooling in Mesoscale Rotors: Implications for Quantum Coherence Models in Complex Adaptive Systems

Alina Haitu

Published Apr 12, 2026• 0 citations

Abstract

This manuscript is a Matters Arising prepared for Nature Physics in response to Troyer et al. (2026), "Quantum ground-state cooling of two librational modes of a nanorotor" (doi.org/10.1038/s41567-026-03219-1). It proposes that the experimental demonstration of orientational alignment as a quantizable, ground-state-achievable property in a mesoscale rotor carries underexplored implications for theoretical coherence models in biological and complex adaptive systems. The argument identifies open problems made newly tractable by the Troyer et al. result and outlines implications for biometric coherence measurement instrumentation. No original experimental data are presented. This is a theoretical contribution by an independent researcher working within the Applied Quantum Psychology framework.

DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.19531518

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This manuscript is a Matters Arising prepared for Nature Physics in response to Troyer et al. (2026), "Quantum ground-state cooling of two librational modes of a nanorotor" (doi.org/10.1038/s41567-026-03219-1). It proposes that the experimental demonstration of orientational alignment as a quantizable, ground-state-achievable property in a mesoscale rotor carries underexplored implications for theoretical coherence models in biological and complex adaptive systems. The argument identifies open problems made newly tractable by the Troyer et al. result and outlines implications for biometric coherence measurement instrumentation. No original experimental data are presented. This is a theoretical contribution by an independent researcher working within the Applied Quantum Psychology framework.

We consider a finite one-dimensional chain of quantum rotors interacting with a set of thermal baths at different temperatures. When the interaction between the rotors is made chiral, such a system behaves as an autonomous thermal motor, converting heat currents into nonvanishing rotational ones. Such a dynamical response is strongly pronounced in the range of the Hamiltonian parameters for which the ground state of the system in the thermodynamic limit exhibits a quantum phase transition. Such working points are associated with large quantum coherence and multipartite quantum correlations within the state of the system. This suggests that the optimal operating regime of such a quantum autonomous motor is one of maximal quantumness.

Abstract Controlling the motion of nanoscale objects at the quantum limit promises opportunities to test fundamental quantum physics and advances in quantum sensing. Rotational motion is of particular interest, as its nonlinear dynamics in a compact, closed configuration space provides access to phenomena such as rotational interferometry, tunnelling between angular configurations and quantum-enhanced torque sensing. A key requirement for such experiments is the capability to trap nanorotors and cool their orientation close to the two-dimensional librational quantum ground state. When rotational motion is confined in a harmonic potential, it becomes librational. Here we demonstrate that coherent scattering into a high-finesse cavity enables the ground-state cooling of two orthogonal librational modes of an optically levitated SiO 2 nanoparticle. Using a laser-induced desorption loading technique, we trap and cool several dimers and trimers of silica nanospheres to their respective ground states, all within a single day. The simultaneous cooling of both librational degrees of freedom allows us to align an individual nanorotor with respect to a space-fixed axis with an angular precision better than 20 µrad—close to the quantum-mechanical zero-point fluctuations.

Controlling the motion of nanoscale objects at the quantum limit promises new tests of quantum mechanics and advanced sensors. Rotational motion is of particular interest, as it follows nonlinear dynamics in a compact, closed configuration space, giving rise to a plethora of phenomena and applications beyond the possibilities of free or trapped linear motion. A prerequisite for such experiments is the capability to trap nanorotors and initialize them in a quantum ground state of libration. Here, we demonstrate the reliable, repetitive laser-induced loading of silica nanodimers and trimers into an optical tweezer. Coherent scattering in a high-finesse cavity allows us to cool two different librational modes to the quantum ground state with occupation numbers as low as nβ = 0.54 ± 0.32 and nα = 0.21 ± 0.03. By simultaneously cooling both degrees of freedom (nβ = 0.73 ± 0.22, nα = 1.02 ± 0.08) we align nanorotors to a space-fixed axis with precision better than 20 μrad, close to the zero-point amplitude of librations.

We propose an experimentally viable scheme to probe orientational quantum revivals with nanoscale particles, an interference effect of the rotational degrees of freedom testifying a superposition of all orientations. Our simulations demonstrate that such revivals are observable with current technology, even in the presence of environmental decoherence, using carbon nanotubes or silicon nanorods with a length of 50 nm. This opens the door to tests of rotational quantum physics with submicron objects and to quantum gyroscopic torque sensors.