MIT scholar Vivishek makes breakthrough in Quantum precision timekeeping

The research could redefine the boundaries of precision timekeeping, offering accuracy previously deemed unattainable

Clock / MIT

His study along with Hudson Loughlin, a graduate student in MIT’s Department of Physics, was funded in part by the National Science Foundation.

Sudhir's study, conducted at MIT, challenges the conventional understanding of clock stability.

While environmental factors like wind or heat have been known to affect the precision of oscillators, their research delves into the realm of quantum mechanics, revealing that quantum noise limits the stability of clocks.

The study proposed a method to surpass this quantum limit by using a technique called "squeezing."

This involves manipulating the quantum states contributing to the noise. Sudhir explained this, saying, “What we’ve shown is, there’s actually a limit to how stable oscillators like lasers and clocks can be, that’s set not just by their environment, but by the fact that quantum mechanics forces them to shake around a little bit.”

He added, “Then, we’ve shown that there are ways you can even get around this quantum mechanical shaking. But you have to be more clever than just isolating the thing from its environment. You have to play with the quantum states themselves.”

They plan to conduct experimental tests to validate their theory. If successful, their research could revolutionize timekeeping, including measuring the presence of dark matter. The team's work is detailed in Nature Communications journal.