Quantum Leap: New Method Accelerates Creation of Ultra-Cold Atom Superpositions

markrenngont

Creating quantum superpositions with ultra-cold atoms has long been a slow and impractical process. But researchers at the University of Liège have now developed a groundbreaking method that dramatically speeds up the creation of these elusive quantum states. Their findings, published in Physical Review A, could pave the way for practical advances in quantum computing and precision measurement.

The team, led by doctoral student Simon Dengis and the Quantum Statistical Physics (PQS) group, has devised a protocol to quickly generate NOON states—quantum superpositions where particles exist in multiple places at once. These states are considered key building blocks for ultra-sensitive quantum sensors and future quantum computers.

"The challenge was time," explains Dengis. "Creating NOON states traditionally takes tens of minutes—far longer than the lifetime of the quantum system. That’s like trying to finish a race long after your car’s engine has stalled."

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The bottleneck comes from a kind of "energy sharp turn" during the quantum system’s evolution, forcing the process to slow down. To overcome this, the team combined two powerful techniques: counterdiabatic driving (which guides the system to evolve quickly without losing coherence) and the optimal geodesic path (the most efficient route through the system’s configuration space).

The result is a vastly more efficient process. "We’ve accelerated the procedure by a factor of up to 10,000, achieving 99% fidelity in just 0.1 seconds," says Peter Schlagheck, director of the lab. What once took 10 minutes now takes a fraction of a second—making practical applications possible for the first time.

This innovation opens the door to real-world use of NOON states in quantum metrology and quantum information science. Potential applications include quantum gyroscopes, gravity sensors, and other ultra-precise instruments.

The work also demonstrates the power of integrating mathematical theory, quantum mechanics, and experimental insight to achieve breakthroughs that were previously thought to be out of reach.

Quantum superposition—the concept at the heart of this research—describes a system that can exist in multiple states simultaneously. A common analogy is Schrödinger’s cat: a thought experiment in which a cat in a sealed box is both alive and dead until observed. NOON states follow a similar logic, where atoms are simultaneously located in two positions (left and right wells) until a measurement determines their final state.

With this new method, researchers can now generate these states efficiently, bringing once-theoretical ideas one step closer to everyday technology.