RRI team use quantum magnetometry to make more precise atomic clocks
The Hindu
A Raman Research Institute (RRI) team working with cold Rydberg atoms have used quantum magnetometry to help atomic clocks and magnetometers used for precise timekeeping in navigation, telecommunication and aviation, achieve higher precision and make them additionally robust.
A Raman Research Institute (RRI) team working with cold Rydberg atoms have used quantum magnetometry to help atomic clocks and magnetometers used for precise timekeeping in navigation, telecommunication and aviation, achieve higher precision and make them additionally robust.
According to the Department of Science and Technology, a Rydberg atom is an “excited atom with one or more electrons” that have a very high principal quantum number. This state of excitation is measured with a spectroscopic method called the Electromagnetically Induced Transparency (EIT).
RRI researchers have leveraged the Doppler effect to their advantage and achieved a ten-time enhanced response to the magnetic field while performing quantum magnetometry (phenomenon exploiting the quantum nature of light and atoms for precision measurement of magnetic fields) on thermal rubidium atoms using Rydberg EIT in a room temperature-based environment.
Deploying Rydberg EIT, the researchers detected atoms in their highly excited (Rydberg) states.
“When the Rydberg EIT was observed in an unconventional configuration of the probe and the coupling beam, where the Doppler shift was not compensated, an enhanced response to the magnetic field was observed. It is the Doppler shift which causes a larger response of the Rydberg EIT signal to an externally applied magnetic field,” said Sanjukta Roy, head of Quantum Optics with Rydberg Atoms Lab (QuORAL) at RRI
Generally, Doppler shift is perceived as the change in frequency of a wave by a moving observer. When a laser beam flashes on atoms, their thermal motion leads to a Doppler shift – an atom moving towards the laser beam sees a higher frequency, whereas one moving away sees a lower frequency. This effect is generally assumed to be detrimental to sensing.
The RRI team, in the paper published recently in New Journal of Physics, have demonstrated and successfully harnessed the quantum effects at room temperature by effectively using this Doppler effect to their advantage.
FDA-approved Cobenfy offers a novel treatment for schizophrenia, targeting cholinergic receptors instead of dopamine, with potential side-effects.
Arachnologists discover new jumping spider genus 'Tenkana' in southern India, introducing species like Tenkana jayamangali.
170 Not Out is more than an exhibition on stamps — it gives visitors a glimpse into different facets of human existence
New research traces the origin of most meteorites to just a handful of asteroid breakup events – and possibly even individual asteroids.
Saudi Arabia celebrates Indian culture during Riyadh Season, showcasing diversity and fostering ties with India for tourism and economy.
Large communications satellite breaks up in orbit, affecting multiple regions and adding to growing space junk problem.
Gaurav Mehta, the founder-designer of Jaipur Watch Company, talks about his latest collection, watches as storytelling devices, his philosophy of time, and more.
Déjà vu explained: A strange feeling of reliving a moment due to memory mix-ups and unconscious recognition in the brain.
Have you ever found a piece of paper and folded it into something beautiful like a flower or an aeroplane? If so, then you dabbled into the art of paper folding called Origami. From simple cranes to creative geometric stuff, origami is more than paper folding; it combines art, culture and science. Let’s unfold everything about origami!
Two brown dwarfs orbit a star closely, challenging traditional definitions of celestial bodies in a binary system.
Chennai requires a new imagination of its relationship to the unpredictable showers, the sea, and its water reservoirs. Here are five takeaways from the recent rains