Scientists have developed a new method to detect single gravitons

Stockholm University scientists have presented a new method for detecting single gravitons in a groundbreaking research. This achievement takes place while until now, the direct observation of these microscopic particles was considered a big challenge.

According to the scientific news department of Tekna Technology Media, gravitons have been proposed as fundamental particles that carry the force of gravity. Scientists have been trying to bridge the gap between the theories of gravity and quantum mechanics for years. Now, a group led by Igor Pekovsky, a professor of physics at Stevens University, has succeeded in designing a method to create a tracer capable of detecting single gravitons.

This method is based on recent advances in the field of quantum sensors and the study of quantum objects on a large scale. These objects, which are visible to the naked eye, but exhibit quantum behavior, are considered good candidates for detecting gravitons due to their strong interaction with gravity.

Using existing technologies such as acoustic resonators and Weber rods, the scientists propose to build a tracker that works by cooling a quantum object to its lowest energy level and then exposing it to gravitational waves. “By cooling matter and monitoring its energy changes in a single step, we can detect the absorption of single gravitons using quantum sensors,” explains postdoctoral researcher Srinivat Manikandan.

Scientists have called the phenomenon created in this process “gravito-phonon effect”. Similar to the photoelectric effect, in which light interacts with matter in discrete packets called photons, in this phenomenon, gravitons reveal themselves by creating discrete changes in the object’s energy. “Inspired by the photoelectric effect, we use acoustic resonators and gravitational waves passing through the Earth to create the gravito-phonon effect,” says PhD student Germain Tobar.

To increase the probability of success, scientists suggest using data from the LIGO Gravitational Wave Observatory. Although LIGO has been very successful in detecting gravitational waves, it is unable to detect single gravitons.

Single graviton detection requires very high energy gravitational waves, because the interaction between a single graviton and matter is very weak. Also, it is not possible to produce gravitational waves in the laboratory and these waves are produced only in massive cosmic events such as the collision of black holes.

However, the researchers believe that by carefully comparing the LIGO data with measurements from the proposed detector, they will be able to detect signs of interacting single gravitons. “Using existing gravitational wave observatories, we can wait for LIGO to detect a gravitational wave and then observe the changes in our detector,” says PhD student Thomas Bittle. Despite the technical challenges, the research team is optimistic about the future and is designing an experiment that will use data from Earth’s gravitational waves.

Research in the field of detecting gravitons has been going on for more than a century. Einstein’s theory of general relativity revolutionized our understanding of gravity, but gravity is still the only fundamental force not fully explained by quantum theory. The successful detection of the single graviton would be a major step towards formulating a unified theory of everything. To see the latest news, refer to the scientific news page of Tekna Media.