Cambridge scientists develop new device that makes quantum effects visible to the naked eye

Cambridge scientists develop new device that makes quantum effects visible to the naked eye

The research team at the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom has designed a special semiconductor chip device that can put electrons in a quantum state and generate light. The most important thing is that all of these can be directly observed with the naked eye. The device can emit a laser beam to generate a superfluid state quantum, so that it can use this research result to make a highly sensitive detector. The related detailed research was published in the January 8 issue of Nature and Physics.


The quantum effect is usually generated by micro particles under some special conditions such as ultra-low temperature. However, the team created a large number of particles with the same size as the diameter of hair by mixing light and electrons, similar to superconductors. They mixed the light beam with neighboring electrons through the microcavity on the semiconductor chip to produce a new kind of particle electromagnetic phonons (polaritons). This kind of particle is quite light and can move freely.

The results of this research can be used to generate quantum states at room temperature using a power source, so that it is possible to study manufacturing highly sensitive gravitational and magnetic detectors and quantum circuits. But as researcher Christmann said, even if there are no subsequent research inventions and theoretical results, it is enough to simply observe the quantum effects directly with the naked eye.