Quantum Leap in Spectroscopy: New Technique Doubles Sensitivity

An international team o engineers an physicists his unveiled a grundbrakin technique aat harnesses quantum licht for tae enhance the performance o spectroscopy. Iss new method allous for infrared electric field measurements aat are twice as sensitive as previous techniques, pavin e wey for advancements in security an medical diagnostics.

Time-domain spectroscopy, e current standart, relies on ultra-short laser pulses aat interact wi material samples. Iss process enables detailed analysis o a material’s molecular structure ower time. Notably, recent research by Nobel Prize winner Ferenc Krausz’s team pynted oot its potential in detectin early signs o diseases like cancer in bleed samples.

Fooanivver, traditional time-domain spectroscopy faces limitations due tae the noise inherent in classical licht soorces, kent as ‘shot noise’. Iss noise can obscure important signals, hinderin e ability tae gaither further information aboot a sample’s composition.

E new technique, detailed in a paper published in Science Advances, eeses pairs o laser pulses linked throu quantum mechanics tae probe infrared fields. Fyle baith beams experience shot noise, e noise paitterns mirror each ither. By subtractin e measurements fae ae beam tae the ither, hidden signals emerge, allouin for mair sensitive readins. E researchers claim their method reduces noise by haaf compared tae classical licht, effectively doublin sensitivity.

Professor Matteo Clerici fae the University o Glesga’s James Watt School o Engineerin, fa led e study, expressed optimism aboot future applications. He stated, “In time, iss technique cuid help us better unnerstand material composition, detect contaminants, or identify dangerous substances like explosives in e air, as weel as monitor disease merkers in bleed samples.”

E research team, aat included Glesga PhD students Dionysis Adamou an Lennart Hirsch, is eager tae explore further enhancements. Future wark micht involve adaptin techniques fae gravitational wave detectors tae boost sensitivity even mair.

Collaborators fae Loughborough University an e University o Strathclyde contributed tae iss advancement. E paper cryed “Quantum-enhanced time-domain spectroscopy” is noo available in Science Advances. E project received support fae various fundin bodies, includin Innovate UK an e Royal Academy o Engineerin, unnerscorin e significance o this research in advancin scientific unnerstandin an practical applications.