Erwin Schrödinger Center for Quantum Science & Technology (ESQ)

Michael Trupke: Electrical Readout of Levitated Superconducting Particles (ELISA)

The main objective of this research project is to employ an information-theoretic route to the foundations of Fock space and quantum particle statistics. In contrast to the standard approach of postulating the Hilbert space and unitary transformations, the information-based (operational) approach offers a novel perspective on the mathematical formalism, i.e. to see it as the framework that encapsulates the laws of quantum information processing. Our main research goal is to define a comprehensible operational framework for quantum indistinguishable particles without referring to the mathematics of Fock space per se. In addition to foundational goals, our aim is to study the role of indistinguishability of quantum particles in quantum information-processing with the main focus on quantum communication in Fock space.Magnetic levitation of microscopic, superconducting particles in persistent-current traps is projected to be the most powerful method to study the quantum mechanics of massive systems. Its advantages arise from the noise-free trap formed by persistent supercurrents, and the extremely high levels of vacuum that can be reached at millikelvin temperatures. We have embarked on a quest to reach ground-state cooling in such a system. The crucial next step in this journey is the direct readout of the particle motion using a superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID). ELISA will thereby provide an essential ingredient on the path to readout at the level of a single quantum of motion.

Superconducting magnetic levitation in the quantum regime is a nascent research topic. The ESQ project, with its flexible funding structure, will enable us to make progress which would otherwise be impossible at such an exploratory stage, allowing us to perform research at the forefront of this highly promising field.