Measuring gravity with milligram levitated masses

Science Advances, vol. 10, pp. eadk2949

Abstract

Gravity differs from all other known fundamental forces because it is best described as a curvature of space-time. For that reason, it remains resistant to unifications with quantum theory. Gravitational interaction is fundamentally weak and becomes prominent only at macroscopic scales. This means, we do not know what happens to gravity in the microscopic regime where quantum effects dominate and whether quantum coherent effects of gravity become apparent. Levitated mechanical systems of mesoscopic size offer a probe of gravity, while still allowing quantum control over their motional state. This regime opens the possibility of table-top testing of quantum superposition and entanglement in gravitating systems. Here, we show gravitational coupling between a levitated submillimeter-scale magnetic particle inside a type I superconducting trap and kilogram source masses, placed approximately half a meter away. Our results extend gravity measurements to low gravitational forces of attonewton and underline the importance of levitated mechanical sensors.

Authors 8

1. Tim M. Fuchs Aachen

   Leiden University

   Affiliation as printed

   Leiden Institute of Physics, Leiden University, P.O. Box 9504, 2300 RA Leiden, Netherlands

2. Dennis G. Uitenbroek Aachen

   Leiden University

   Affiliation as printed

   Leiden Institute of Physics, Leiden University, P.O. Box 9504, 2300 RA Leiden, Netherlands

3. Jaimy Plugge Aachen

   Leiden University

   Affiliation as printed

   Leiden Institute of Physics, Leiden University, P.O. Box 9504, 2300 RA Leiden, Netherlands

4. Noud van Halteren Aachen

   Leiden University

   Affiliation as printed

   Leiden Institute of Physics, Leiden University, P.O. Box 9504, 2300 RA Leiden, Netherlands

5. Jean-Paul van Soest Aachen

   Leiden University

   Affiliation as printed

   Leiden Institute of Physics, Leiden University, P.O. Box 9504, 2300 RA Leiden, Netherlands

6. Andrea Vinante

   Fondazione Bruno Kessler · Istituto di Fotonica e Nanotecnologie

   Affiliation as printed

   Istituto di Fotonica e Nanotecnologie, CNR and Fondazione Bruno Kessler, I-38123 Povo, Trento, Italy

7. Hendrik Ulbricht

   University of Southampton

   Affiliation as printed

   School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Southampton, SO17 1BJ Southampton, UK

8. Tjerk H. Oosterkamp corresponding Aachen

   Leiden University

   Affiliation as printed

   Leiden Institute of Physics, Leiden University, P.O. Box 9504, 2300 RA Leiden, Netherlands