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11mo ago

UC Berkeley Physicists Push Limits in Search for Dark Energy

New experiment with lattice atom interferometer achieves unprecedented precision in measuring gravitational effects.

Physicists at UC Berkeley immobilized small clusters of cesium atoms (pink blobs) in a vertical vacuum chamber, then split each atom into a quantum state in which half of the atom was closer to a tungsten weight (shiny cylinder) than the other half (split spheres below the tungsten). By measuring the phase difference between the two halves of the atomic wave function, they were able to calculate the difference in the gravitational attraction between the two parts of the atom, which matched what is expected from Newtonian gravity.
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Overview

  • Researchers immobilized cesium atoms to measure gravitational attraction with extreme accuracy.
  • The experiment found no deviations from Newtonian gravity but sets the stage for future discoveries.
  • The technique could eventually test the quantum nature of gravity, a long-standing scientific challenge.
  • Potential applications include advanced quantum sensing and geological mapping of the ocean floor.
  • The study builds on previous work and aims to detect hypothetical particles like chameleons or symmetrons.