Sensors of Relativistic Phenomena Based on Solid-State Quantum Platforms

这项研究旨在确定和探索使用新兴量子平台作为各种天体物理现象的精确探测器的前景和局限性，例如连续引力波和标量暗物质。可控但脆弱的量子系统可能会受到弱力的严重干扰，因此可以作为微小力量的探测器运行。无论是来自遥远的中子星的引力波，还是来自我们太阳附近的暗物质，都会产生微弱的作用力，因为拉伸和压缩物体的距离远远小于原子核的大小。这项研究将通过研究它们在最先进的量子设备上的作用来研究检测这些力的可能性。它还将调查使用各种量子物体探测弱力的技术和基本限制。上述两种相对论现象在作用于延伸的固体物体时都会产生潮汐作用力。例如，这样的力将被共振放大，并可能在光学机械装置中被检测到。除了探索各种检测方案在技术和基本量子噪声方面的可行性外，该计划还将探索量子测量和基于反馈的传感改进。这项研究涵盖了广泛的实验系统：超流氦声学装置、微米尺寸的氮化硅薄膜和光子晶体腔。这项理论工作包括一种分析和计算相结合的方法，以及与粒子理论家和量子实验学家的密切合作。该项目由理论原子、分子和光学物理计划、已建立的促进竞争研究计划(EPSCoR)和材料研究部门的凝聚态物质和材料理论计划共同资助。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

This research aims to identify and explore the promise and limitations of using emerging quantum platforms as precise detectors of various astrophysical phenomena such as continuous gravitational waves and scalar dark matter. Controllable, yet fragile quantum systems can be perturbed significantly by weak forces, thus operating as detectors of tiny forces. Both gravitational waves from distant neutron stars or dark matter in our solar neighborhood would produce weak forces due to stretching and squeezing objects by distances much smaller than the size of the atomic nucleus. This research will study the possibility of detecting these forces by studying their action on state-of-the-art quantum devices. It will also investigate the technical and fundamental limitations on using various quantum objects to detect weak forces.Both of the relativistic phenomena mentioned above produce tidal forces when acting on extended solid objects. Such forces will be resonantly amplified and can possibly be detected in optomechanical setups, for instance. Along with exploring the viability of various detection schemes with respect to technical and fundamental quantum noise, this program will also explore quantum measurement and feedback-based sensing improvements. This research spans a wide range of experimental systems: superfluid helium acoustic devices, micron sized SiN membranes, and photonic crystal cavities. This theoretical work consists of a combined analytical and computational approach along with strong collaborations with both particle theorists and quantum experimentalists. This project is jointly funded by the Theoretical Atomic, Molecular and Optical Physics Program, by the Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR), and by the Condensed Matter and Materials Theory Program in the Division of Materials Research.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.