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Closing that rift has been a dream project for generations. Now a fresh proposal points to an unexpectedly practical route: link a trio of ultrafine atomic clocks with the same quantum technology that will one day support a globe-spanning quantum internet, then scatter those clocks along the side of a mountain. <\/p>\n
If everything works, the experiment will watch quantum superpositions ride Earth\u2019s curved space-time and reveal whether the two great theories can truly coexist.<\/p>\n
Quantum clocks on the hillside<\/p>\n
The idea comes from Igor Pikovski at Stevens Institute of Technology<\/a>, Jacob Covey at the University of Illinois<\/a> Urbana-Champaign, and Johannes Borregaard at Harvard University<\/a>. <\/p>\n Their paper, \u201cProbing Curved Spacetime with a Distributed Atomic Processor Clock,\u201d just published in PRX Quantum, lays out a detailed plan to marry quantum networking with precision metrology. <\/p>\n \u201cThe interplay between quantum theory and gravity<\/a> is one of the most challenging problems in physics today, but also fascinating,\u201d says Pikovski. \u201cQuantum networks will help us test this interplay for the first time in actual experiments.\u201d <\/p>\n The team\u2019s blueprint treats a mountain slope as a ready-made laboratory, using natural height differences to amplify the tiny time shifts predicted by relativity.<\/p>\n Atomic clocks as quantum probes<\/p>\n Atomic clocks<\/a> already underpin GPS satellites and global timekeeping because they lose only a second every billion years. Each tick comes from the regular light absorbed and emitted by atoms such as ytterbium-171. <\/p>\n In the new scheme, three such clocks sit at elevations separated by hundreds of feet \u2013 enough for gravity to make the topmost clock run a hair faster than the one at the base. <\/p>\n Because the clocks are quantum devices, they can be placed in superposition<\/a>, meaning they effectively tick in several places at once.<\/p>\n Physicists have already confirmed gravitational time dilation with aircraft and satellites, but those tests rely on classical synchronization. <\/p>\n Using a truly quantum clock raises the bar by letting the same single tick sample multiple altitudes at once, squeezing uncertainty far below the part-per-quadrillion level.<\/p>\n Entanglement as the secret sauce<\/p>\n To keep the trio operating as one coherent device, the researchers rely on a highly resilient entangled W-state. <\/p>\n Only one of the three nodes carries the active \u201cexcitation,\u201d yet all share responsibility for it. If one station suffers a hiccup, the overall state survives, a feature prized in quantum communication. <\/p>\n Entanglement also enables quantum teleportation<\/a> of timing information, letting the scientists recombine the separated pieces without physically hauling hardware up and down the slope.<\/p>\n Network links often rely on photons coursing through buried fiber or free-space laser connections. Either route can ferry entanglement over miles, as recent field trials between Chicago and Boston have shown. <\/p>\n The mountainside layout taps that same infrastructure, so every tweak made for the gravity test feeds directly back into the playbook for tomorrow\u2019s secure data highways.<\/p>\n Following quantum clock beats<\/p>\n As the entangled clock ticks, each node accumulates a slightly different phase because the local flow of time is not identical. <\/p>\n When those phases are brought back together through teleportation, the interference pattern should display three distinct beat notes. <\/p>\n Their spacing encodes the altitude differences measured in feet as well as the combined effect of quantum superposition and curved space-time. <\/p>\n If either theory \u2013 quantum mechanics<\/a> or general relativity<\/a> \u2013 fails to describe reality at this overlap, the rhythm will stray from expectations.<\/p>\n Counting those beat notes requires detectors that resolve differences smaller than a billionth of a second. Modern frequency combs let researchers compare optical clock signals with that level of finesse, turning what once seemed a sci-fi feat into standard lab practice.<\/p>\n Finding terra firma<\/p>\n Beyond a proof of principle, the test would put long-standing speculations on firmer footing. <\/p>\n \u201cWe assume that quantum theory holds everywhere \u2013 but we really don\u2019t know if this is true,\u201d says Pikovski. <\/p>\n \u201cIt might be that gravity changes how quantum mechanics works. In fact, some theories suggest such modifications, and quantum technology will be able to test that.\u201d <\/p>\n A measurable deviation might hint at new physics, while a perfect match would still tighten the bounds on any would-be quantum-gravity adjustment by orders of magnitude.<\/p>\n Quantum internet with benefits<\/p>\n Tools developed for the curved-space-time experiment mirror the hardware racing toward a secure quantum internet. <\/p>\n Entangled Bell pairs<\/a>, teleportation channels, and error-tolerant W-states are exactly what future data links will need to move qubits between city-scale processors. <\/p>\n By turning those same tricks to fundamental research, the community gains a double dividend: technology gets a demanding field test, and basic science gains reach far beyond a conventional lab bench.<\/p>\n Organizations planning intercity quantum links<\/a> already mount repeaters on towers and rooftops, where elevation shifts come for free. <\/p>\n Embedding fundamental tests into those rollouts might transform mundane network maintenance into a new branch of precision geodesy.<\/p>\n Quantum clocks and future tech<\/p>\n Building the network will still be an engineering lift. Optical fibers<\/a> must carry entanglement hundreds of feet with minimal loss, while laser systems keep the ytterbium atoms chilled to microkelvin temperatures. <\/p>\n Yet none of those tasks lie outside today\u2019s state of the art. <\/p>\n If the experiment runs and the beats line up with theory, physicists will have brought two rival descriptions of the universe a little closer together. <\/p>\n And if the beats slip, an even bigger adventure will begin \u2013 one that may finally show how quantum science and gravity influence each other.<\/p>\n Either result \u2013 agreement or surprise \u2013 will refine blueprints for space-based missions aiming to stretch entangled clocks between satellites. <\/p>\n Those projects could bring the same test into stronger gravitational gradients near massive bodies, extending the quest well beyond any earthly mountain ridge.<\/p>\n The full study was published in the journal Physical Review<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u2014\u2013<\/p>\n Like what you read? Subscribe to our newsletter<\/a> for engaging articles, exclusive content, and the latest updates.<\/p>\n Check us out on EarthSnap<\/a>, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls<\/a> and Earth.com.<\/p>\n \u2014\u2013<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"For more than a century, physicists have relied on two separate rulebooks to describe nature. Quantum mechanics excels…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":15439,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[24],"tags":[49,48,314,66],"class_list":{"0":"post-15438","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-physics","8":"tag-ca","9":"tag-canada","10":"tag-physics","11":"tag-science"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15438","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=15438"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15438\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/15439"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=15438"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=15438"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=15438"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}