Purdue Physicists Host World’s Smallest Disco Party with 1.2 Billion RPM Levitated Nanodiamonds

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Purdue Physicists Host the World’s Smallest Disco Party Using Nanodiamonds

Physicists at Purdue University have set a new milestone in the world of levitated optomechanics, throwing what can only be described as the tiniest disco party on the planet. The “disco ball” in question is a fluorescent nanodiamond, which the research team has successfully levitated and spun at incredible speeds in a vacuum. This tiny, glowing diamond scatters multicolored light in all directions, creating a mesmerizing effect as it rotates. But the fun doesn’t stop there—this experiment is a breakthrough in the study of quantum physics, allowing the team to observe the elusive Berry phase in electron spins within these levitated nanodiamonds.

A Quantum Leap in Spin Qubit Research

The project was led by Professor Tongcang Li, who holds positions in both Physics and Astronomy as well as Electrical and Computer Engineering at Purdue. His team’s work, recently published in Nature Communications, has been hailed by reviewers as a groundbreaking moment for the study of rotating quantum systems and a significant advancement for the levitated optomechanics community.

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“Imagine tiny diamonds floating in empty space,” Li explains. “Inside these diamonds are spin qubits that can be used for precise measurements and to explore the mysterious relationship between quantum mechanics and gravity.” Previously, experiments faced challenges in maintaining these diamonds in a vacuum and reading out the spin qubits. However, the Purdue team overcame these issues by using a specially designed ion trap to levitate the diamond in a high vacuum, enabling them to observe and control the behavior of the spin qubits in unprecedented detail.

Observing the Berry Phase in Nanodiamonds

The diamonds were rotated at astonishing speeds—up to 1.2 billion times per minute—allowing the team to observe the Berry phase, a unique quantum mechanical effect that occurs when a system’s parameters are slowly varied. This observation marks a significant step forward in the understanding of quantum physics.

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The nanodiamonds, with an average diameter of about 750 nanometers, were created using high-pressure, high-temperature synthesis. The diamonds were then irradiated with high-energy electrons to create nitrogen-vacancy color centers, which host electron spin qubits. When illuminated by a green laser, the diamonds emitted red light, which was used to read out their electron spin states. An additional infrared laser was used to monitor the rotation of the levitated nanodiamonds, with the scattered light providing crucial information about their rotation.

The research team included members from Professor Li’s group at Purdue: Yuanbin Jin, Kunhong Shen, Xingyu Gao, and Peng Ju, along with contributions from Alejandro Grine at Sandia National Laboratories and Chong Zu at Washington University in St. Louis. The group designed Purdue and built the experimental setup, performed measurements, and analyzed the results, with feedback from Grine and Zu aiding in the refinement of the experiment and manuscript.

Advancing Quantum Mechanics and Industrial Applications

Levitated nanodiamonds with embedded spin qubits are seen as a promising tool for precision measurements and for exploring the limits of quantum mechanics and the nature of gravity. Professor Li suggests that this research could eventually lead to a deeper understanding of quantum gravity—a major goal in modern physics.

In addition to advancing fundamental science, this discovery has potential industrial applications. Levitated micro and nano-scale particles in vacuum environments could serve as highly sensitive accelerometers and electric field sensors. The U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory, for example, is exploring the use of optically-levitated nanoparticles for navigation and communication technologies.

Purdue University provides state-of-the-art facilities that have been instrumental in this research. Professor Li’s group, with over a decade of experience in this field, continues to push the boundaries of what is possible in levitated optomechanics.

The study was supported by grants from the National Science Foundation, the Office of Naval Research, and the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, with additional support from Sandia National Laboratories’ research and development program. This work represents a significant leap forward in both quantum physics and applied science, with implications that could reach far beyond the lab.

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