Searches for Massive Neutrinos with Mechanical Quantum Sensors
Searches for Massive Neutrinos with Mechanical Quantum Sensors
复制标题
DOI：
10.1103/prxquantum.4.010315
复制
发表时间：
2022-07
期刊：
影响因子：
9.7
通讯作者：
D. Carney;K. Leach;D. Moore
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
D. Carney;K. Leach;D. Moore
量子光力学的发展使得具有飞图质量的机械传感器可以在量子状态下进行控制和测量。如果机械元件含有经历核衰变的同位素，测量传感器在衰变后的后坐力，可以重建所有发射粒子的总动量，包括任何可能逃脱传统探测器检测的中性粒子。例如，对于弱核衰变，发射的中微子的动量可以在一个事件一个事件的基础上重建。我们提出了一个概念，即单个纳米尺度的光学悬浮传感器，其灵敏度接近标准量子极限，可以搜索k - mev质量范围内的重惰性中微子，其灵敏度大大超出了现有的限制。我们还评论了机械传感器在量子状态下运行良好的可能性，最终可能达到提供光中微子态质量绝对测量所需的灵敏度。
The development of quantum optomechanics now allows mechanical sensors with femtogram masses to be controlled and measured in the quantum regime. If the mechanical element contains isotopes that undergo nuclear decay, measuring the recoil of the sensor following the decay allows reconstruction of the total momentum of all emitted particles, including any neutral particles that may escape detection in traditional detectors. As an example, for weak nuclear decays the momentum of the emitted neutrino can be reconstructed on an event-by-event basis. We present the concept that a single nanometer-scale, optically levitated sensor operated with sensitivity near the standard quantum limit can search for heavy sterile neutrinos in the keV-MeV mass range with sensitivity significantly beyond existing constraints. We also comment on the possibility that mechanical sensors operated well into the quantum regime might ultimately reach the sensitivities required to provide an absolute measurement of the mass of the light neutrino states.