Quantum mechanics controls reality on the smallest levels, but when scaled up, it’s often difficult to gauge how and why this realm matters in the practical world. That said, physicists will on occasion uncover an oddly practical use for spooky quantum phenomena, and when they do, technology is often the biggest beneficiary. Such is the case with a new finding pertaining to superradiance—an aspect of quantum mechanics that has traditionally led to more headaches than solutions.
Superradiance is a phenomenon in which a group of quantum particles collaborate to produce significantly stronger signals. It remains a serious nuisance for some physicists, as the phenomenon can quickly destabilize quantum systems—and, by extension, the operation of key quantum technologies.
However, researchers from Austria and Japan devised a novel method to exploit superradiance to produce powerful, long-lasting microwave signals. The team reported its results today in Nature Physics. The team notes that the discovery paves the way for technological advances in medicine, navigation, and quantum communication, according to a statement.
“This discovery changes how we think about the quantum world,” Kae Nemoto, study co-author and a physicist at the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology (OIST) in Japan, said in the release. “That shift opens entirely new directions for quantum technologies.”
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