- 4574 -
QUANTUM COMPUTER - on
the Space Station? How a quantum sensor
on the ISS could revolutionize space exploration. This space-based atom interferometry will
lead to exciting new discoveries and fantastic quantum technologies impacting
everyday life, and will transport us into a quantum future.
-
------------------------------------ 4574
- QUANTUM COMPUTER
- on the Space Station?
-
- Scientists onboard the International Space
Station (ISS) have announced that, for the first time, they have successfully
made high-precision measurements using a quantum sensor based on ultra-cold
atoms of the element Rubidium.This is a significant achievement with
wide-ranging applications, as these sensors could surpass traditional ones in
sensitivity and accuracy, enabling advancements in fields like GPS technology
and telecommunications.
-
- These sensors would offer new opportunities
for scientific discoveries through the study of quantum phenomena, testing the
limits of fundamental physics. Maybe
even pushing beyond theories such as general relativity and the Standard Model
of particle physics.
-
- Researchers were able to measure the subtle
vibrations of the ISS itself, using an instrument called an atom
interferometer. It's one of the most
advanced technologies for making high-precision measurements.
-
- The technique is based on the same
principles as optical interferometry, where light is split into two beams that
travel along different optical paths before getting combined to produce
interference. Any differences between the beams' paths allows for extremely
precise detection of changes in the environment.
-
- Instead of light, however, atom
interferometry uses atoms cooled to near absolute zero (-459 degrees Fahrenheit
or -273 degrees Celsius), and relies on their ability to exist in multiple
positions and motions at the same time due to quantum effects that become
apparent at this ultra-cold temperature.
-
- When atoms move through an interferometer,
they create patterns called “fringes”, which contain information about forces
like gravity or other environmental influences. And, because atoms move much
slower than light, they are affected by these forces for a longer time,
allowing for very precise measurements that are much more sensitive than their
optical counterparts.
-
- On Earth, atom interferometers have allowed
scientists to achieve incredible feats, such as building absolute gravimeters
and investigating changes in fundamental constants of nature with baffling
accuracy. But physicists have been eager to apply atom interferometry in space,
where microgravity helps eliminate interference and allows scientists to take
even longer measurements that would actually improve the instrument's
sensitivity altogether.
-
- In the past maintaining coherence between
the atom's has been challenging and required hands-on assistance in order to
run experiments. Yet, the scientists
were able to run their measurements remotely from Earth.
-
- They hope that, as the instrument further
develops, it will become possible to make even more precise measurements of
gravity that would allow us to investigate and understand our uiverse in
greater detail than ever. They could
reveal the composition of planets and moons in our solar system, because
different materials have different densities that create subtle variations in
gravity.
-
- This enhanced sensitivity could also enable
scientists to finally detect dark matter, an elusive substance that has
remained a cosmic mystery due to its weak interactions with particles and
gravitational fields.
-
- Atom interferometry could also be used to
test Einstein's theory of general relativity in new ways. This is the basic theory explaining the
large-scale structure of our universe, and we know that there are aspects of
the theory that we don’t understand correctly. This technology may help us fill
in those gaps and give us a more complete picture of the reality.
-
- Space-based atom interferometry will lead
to exciting new discoveries and fantastic quantum technologies impacting
everyday life, and will transport us into a quantum future.
-
-
October 10, 2024 QUANTUM
COMPUTER - on the Space Station? 4562
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--- Some reviews are at: -------------- http://jdetrick.blogspot.com -----
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--- to:
------
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------ “Jim Detrick” -----------
--------------------- --- Thursday, October 10,
2024
---------------------------------
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