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First Lab Demo Redirects Quantum Uncertainty for Sharper Dual Position–Momentum Sensing

Using trapped-ion grid states borrowed from quantum error correction, the team reports sensitivity beyond the standard quantum limit without contravening Heisenberg.

Overview

  • Researchers validated a 2017 proposal by measuring modular position and momentum simultaneously with redistributed quantum uncertainty focused away from coarse information.
  • The experiment used a single trapped ion prepared in grid states to enhance small-signal detection, showing precision that surpasses classical standard quantum limits.
  • The team reported displacement sensitivity on the order of half a nanometer and the ability to detect forces at yoctonewton scales.
  • The study, led by the University of Sydney and published in Science Advances (DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adw9757), involved collaborators at RMIT, the University of Melbourne, Macquarie University and the University of Bristol.
  • Authors declared no competing interests and cited support from the Australian Research Council, multiple US defense research agencies and industry, noting the work remains a laboratory proof of concept with prospective sensing applications.