A prototype quantum sensor developed by researchers at Imperial has demonstrated for the first time that a key principle behind next-generation quantum detectors can work under realistic conditions.

The study shows how comparing two long-baseline atom interferometers, instruments that use lasers to precisely measure the behavior of atoms, allows experimental noise to be effectively canceled.

This enables signals to be recovered even when individual measurements are overwhelmed and opens the door to searches for gravitational waves from the early universe and signatures of exotic forms of dark matter.

Canceling noise in quantum measurements
Understanding what the universe is made of and identifying new sources of gravitational waves remain major challenges in modern physics.

Both problems require measuring extremely small signals that can easily be lost in background noise. Finding reliable ways to detect them is essential for exploring parts of the universe that current experiments cannot access.