Researchers Use Quantum Mechanics to See Objects Without Looking at Them
upstart writes:
[...] Our vision is made possible by the specialized cells in our retina that absorb light. But, can one see without any absorption of light or even a single photon? Surprisingly, the answer is yes.
Suppose you have a camera cartridge that could hold a roll of photographic film. The film is so delicate that even a single photon could damage it. Using conventional methods, it's impossible to determine if there's film in the cartridge. However, in the quantum world, it can be achieved. Anton Zeilinger, a Nobel Prize winner in Physics 2022, was the first to experimentally implement the idea of an interaction-free experiment using optics.
Now, in a study exploring the connection between the quantum and classical worlds, Shruti Dogra, John J. McCord, and Gheorghe Sorin Paraoanu of Aalto University have discovered a new and much more effective way to carry out interaction-free experiments. The team used transmon devices -superconducting circuits that are relatively large but still show quantum behavior- to detect the presence of microwave pulses generated by classical instruments. Their research was recently published in Nature Communications.
Journal Reference:
Dogra, Shruti, McCord, John J., Paraoanu, Gheorghe Sorin. Coherent interaction-free detection of microwave pulses with a superconducting circuit [open], Nature Communications (DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-35049-z)
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