Thanks BenLurkin.
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Posted on 06/22/2022 10:06:19 AM PDT by BenLurkin
Quantum sensors, which detect the most minute variations in magnetic or electrical fields, have enabled precision measurements in materials science and fundamental physics. But these sensors have only been capable of detecting a few specific frequencies of these fields, limiting their usefulness. Now, researchers at MIT have developed a method to enable such sensors to detect any arbitrary frequency, with no loss of their ability to measure nanometer-scale features.
The new method, for which the team has already applied for patent protection, is described in the journal Physical Review X...
Quantum sensors can take many forms; they're essentially systems in which some particles are in such a delicately balanced state that they are affected by even tiny variations in the fields they are exposed to. These can take the form of neutral atoms, trapped ions, and solid-state spins, and research using such sensors has grown rapidly. For example, physicists use them to investigate exotic states of matter, including so-called time crystals and topological phases, while other researchers use them to characterize practical devices such as experimental quantum memory or computation devices. But many other phenomena of interest span a much broader frequency range than today's quantum sensors can detect.
The new system the team devised, which they call a quantum mixer, injects a second frequency into the detector using a beam of microwaves. This converts the frequency of the field being studied into a different frequency—the difference between the original frequency and that of the added signal—which is tuned to the specific frequency that the detector is most sensitive to. This simple process enables the detector to home in on any desired frequency at all, with no loss in the nanoscale spatial resolution of the sensor.
(Excerpt) Read more at phys.org ...
ping
Bkmk
Excellent work...
Nice mixer. But will it blend?
I’m smelling some “super radar” that even works at the electron microscope scale after a brief read. This sounds very cool and fun to watch.
Maybe I can finally get my Xray glasses.
Now if they can amplify, run it through a FFT routine, may be useful.
I know I am paranoid to think this, but something tells me that someday soon the government will figure out a way to use them with their domestic drone program and fly them over everybody’s homes with them 24/7.
Will this mean I can get AM radio stations to come in clear with no static?
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