QuCom

QuCoM's core goal is to establish the initial-level feasibility of an accelerometer based on levitated nanomechanics. We aim to achieve this by studying the interaction between quantum mechanics and gravity at a level that allows for cost-effective experiments on a standard lab table. We will achieve this by suspending sub-millimeter particles using light and magnetic fields. These trapped particles will then be used to detect gravitational forces at a very small mass scale. We will explore situations where these particles exist in a quantum superposition, meaning they are in multiple locations at once. We will examine some of the leading theoretical ideas that combine quantum physics and gravity in new ways. Our experiments will test the validity of these theories and potentially refine the values used in them.

The QuCoM team combines leading theoretical and experimental expertise, supported by two small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to push the boundaries of sensing even further by demonstrating two-mass gravity sensing and operating our sensors in the quantum regime. In pursuing such goals, QuCoM will develop new, advanced ultra-low temperature (sub-millikelvin) and low-vibration cryogenic equipment, which will then be made available to the market. In the long term, the technological developments stemming from QuCoM will enable new applications in space-based measurements and Earth observation using gravitational detection. This potential represents the direct impact and innovation of our project.