Testing experimental predictions of quantum gravity.

测试量子引力的实验预测。

• 批准号: ST/X005151/1
• 负责人: Hartmut Grote
• 金额: $ 14.05万
• 依托单位: CARDIFF UNIVERSITY
• 依托单位国家: 英国
• 项目类别: Research Grant
• 财政年份: 2022
• 资助国家: 英国
• 起止时间: 2022 至 无数据
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=ST%2FX005151%2F1
• 关键词: Testing; experimental; predictions; quantum; gravity.

Modern physics explains a stunning variety of phenomena from the smallest of scales to the largest and has already revolutionized the world! Lasers, semi-conductors, and transistors are at the core of our laptops, cellphones, and medical equipment. Every year, new novel quantum technologies are being developed within the National Quantum Technology Programme in the UK and throughout the world that impact our everyday life and the fundamental physics research that leads to new discoveries. Quantum states of light have recently improved the sensitivity of gravitational-wave detectors, whose detections to date have enthralled the public, and superconducting transition-edge-sensors are now used in astronomy experiments that make high-resolution images of the universe. Despite the successes of modern physics, several profound and challenging problems remain. Our work will use recent advances in quantum technologies to address one the most pressing questions: how can quantum mechanics be united with Einstein's theory of relativity?This line of research is devoted to the nature of space and time. Recent progress in quantum computing and the detection of gravitational waves have provided additional evidence to the long list of successful experimental tests of quantum mechanics and Einstein's theory of relativity. But how can gravity be united with quantum mechanics? To seek answers that inform this question, we propose to study quantum aspects of space-time. We will experimentally investigate the holographic principle, which states that the information content of a volume can be encoded on its boundary. We will exploit quantum states of light and build two ultra-sensitive laser interferometers on a larger table-top scale of 5m that will investigate possible correlations between different regions of space with unprecedented sensitivity. Answering this challenging question of fundamental physics with the aid of modern quantum technologies has the potential to open new horizons for physics research and to reach a new level of understanding of the world we live in.

现代物理学解释了从最小尺度到最大尺度的各种惊人现象，并已经彻底改变了世界！激光、半导体和晶体管是我们笔记本电脑、手机和医疗设备的核心。每年，英国和世界各地的国家量子技术计划都在开发新的量子技术，这些技术影响着我们的日常生活和基础物理学研究，并导致新的发现。光的量子态最近提高了引力波探测器的灵敏度，到目前为止，引力波探测器的探测已经吸引了公众，超导过渡边缘传感器现在用于天文学实验，以获得高分辨率的宇宙图像。尽管现代物理学取得了成功，但仍存在一些深刻而具有挑战性的问题。我们的工作将利用量子技术的最新进展来解决一个最紧迫的问题：量子力学如何与爱因斯坦的相对论相结合？这条研究路线致力于空间和时间的本质。量子计算和引力波探测的最新进展为量子力学和爱因斯坦相对论的一长串成功实验测试提供了额外的证据。但是，引力如何与量子力学统一起来呢？为了寻找这个问题的答案，我们建议研究时空的量子方面。我们将通过实验研究全息原理，该原理指出体积的信息内容可以在其边界上编码。我们将利用光的量子态，在5米的更大桌面尺度上建造两台超灵敏激光干涉仪，以前所未有的灵敏度研究空间不同区域之间可能的相关性。在现代量子技术的帮助下解决这个具有挑战性的基础物理学问题，有可能为物理学研究开辟新的视野，并达到对我们生活的世界的新水平。