Research interests
Physics at scales where quantum theory and general relativity interplay. Including:
Quantum Technologies for Fundamental Physics.
The unification of quantum theory and general relativity remains one of the most important open issues in fundamental physics. A main problem is that we are missing experimental input at scales where quantum and relativistic effects coexist. Developing instruments sensitive at these scales might also help answer other big questions, such as the nature of dark energy and dark matter. My research aims at showing how to use quantum technologies to access new spacetime scales directly. An example is a new detection method that we developed which uses quantum resonances and the sensitivity of collective quantum excitations (phonons) to gravitational fields. Applications include detecting gravitational waves at high frequencies, miniaturize devices to measure gravitational fields and gradients and set further constrains on dark energy/matter models.
Spacetime effects on space-based quantum experiments.
We consider quantum communication schemes where quantum optical signals are exchanged between a source on Earth and a satellite. The background curved spacetime affects the quantum state of the propagating photons. We employ quantum-metrology techniques to obtain optimal bounds for the precision of quantum measurements of relevant physical parameters encoded in the final state. We focus on satellites in low Earth orbits and we find that our scheme improves the precision of the measurement of the Schwarzschild radius obtained within previous studies. Therefore, our techniques can provide the theoretical tools for novel developments that can potentially outperform the state-of-the-art obtained through classical means. We also review the impact of the relativistic effects on a simple quantum key distribution protocol within satellite schemes and find that such effects can be greatly damaging if they are not properly accounted for.
Clocks in the overlap of quantum physics and general relativity.
The conflict between quantum theory and the theory of relativity is exemplified in their treatment of time. We examine the ways in which their conceptions differ, and describe a semiclassical clock model combining elements of both theories. Taking an operationalist view, where time is that which is measured by a clock, we discuss the conclusions that can be drawn from this model in flat and curved spacetime, and what clues they contain for a full quantum relativistic theory of time.
Quantum Technologies for Fundamental Physics.
The unification of quantum theory and general relativity remains one of the most important open issues in fundamental physics. A main problem is that we are missing experimental input at scales where quantum and relativistic effects coexist. Developing instruments sensitive at these scales might also help answer other big questions, such as the nature of dark energy and dark matter. My research aims at showing how to use quantum technologies to access new spacetime scales directly. An example is a new detection method that we developed which uses quantum resonances and the sensitivity of collective quantum excitations (phonons) to gravitational fields. Applications include detecting gravitational waves at high frequencies, miniaturize devices to measure gravitational fields and gradients and set further constrains on dark energy/matter models.
Spacetime effects on space-based quantum experiments.
We consider quantum communication schemes where quantum optical signals are exchanged between a source on Earth and a satellite. The background curved spacetime affects the quantum state of the propagating photons. We employ quantum-metrology techniques to obtain optimal bounds for the precision of quantum measurements of relevant physical parameters encoded in the final state. We focus on satellites in low Earth orbits and we find that our scheme improves the precision of the measurement of the Schwarzschild radius obtained within previous studies. Therefore, our techniques can provide the theoretical tools for novel developments that can potentially outperform the state-of-the-art obtained through classical means. We also review the impact of the relativistic effects on a simple quantum key distribution protocol within satellite schemes and find that such effects can be greatly damaging if they are not properly accounted for.
Clocks in the overlap of quantum physics and general relativity.
The conflict between quantum theory and the theory of relativity is exemplified in their treatment of time. We examine the ways in which their conceptions differ, and describe a semiclassical clock model combining elements of both theories. Taking an operationalist view, where time is that which is measured by a clock, we discuss the conclusions that can be drawn from this model in flat and curved spacetime, and what clues they contain for a full quantum relativistic theory of time.