Quantum innovations to power LIGO-India's discoveries

Time of India

3 days ago

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Pune: A series of lectures and a panel discussion on 'Quantum Advantage for the Most Sensitive Instrument in the World', organised at IUCAA on Tuesday discussed how quantum technologies enhance gravitational wave detectors like LIGO, challenges in improving their sensitivity, quantum mechanics and gravity intersect, and if LIGO India and National Quantum Mission should join hands.
LIGO India had organised the event commemorating the International Year of Quantum Science and Technology marking 100 years since the development of quantum mechanics.
Sendhil Raja from Raja Ramanna Centre for Advanced Technology in Indore, said, "Beyond gravitational wave detection, the instrumentation being developed for LIGO can contribute to fundamental physics experiments at the intersection of quantum mechanics and gravity."
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Sharing that LIGO detectors are among the first major applications of quantum enhancements in measurement, scientists spoke about the need for quantum-level understanding and modelling of coatings to design better materials so that noise is reduced, resulting in better detections.
"Laser Interferometer Gravitational Wave (LIGO) detectors are among the most precise instruments, and quantum enhancements play an inevitable role in the sensitivity of the instrument. Further, detection of elusive
gravitational waves
requires making measurements beyond the standard quantum limit.
This has led to innovative solutions such as quantum squeezing, quantum sensors, quantum filters, and quantum cavity optomechanics," the official release said.
Besides Sendhil Raja, Anil Shaji from IISER Thiruvananthapuram, Anindita Banerjee from CDAC, and Deepak Pandey from IUCAA were in the panel discussion.
30% Work Done On Optical Atomic Clock
Subhadeep De, head of precision & quantum measurement laboratory in IUCAA, said that 30 per cent work on India's first optical atomic clock is done.
They have also developed a laboratory-scale optical fibre-based distributed acoustic sensing that can perform uninterrupted long-term monitoring of the seismic and acoustic signals.
"Besides early warning of calamities, structural health monitoring of cracks in flyovers, bridges, and other buildings, it can also help in satellite-free surveillance by underground and underwater seismic/acoustic wave monitoring, and satellite-free navigation, as the signals can be jammed," De said.