Scientists were able to measure the light given off by a "nanodiamond levitating in free space," for the first time in history.
The team was able to levitate an opaque diamond smaller than a human hair using a technique called "laser trapping," a University of Rochester press release reported.
"Now that we have shown we can levitate nanodiamonds and measure photoluminescence from defects inside the diamonds, we can start considering systems that could have applications in the field of quantum information and computing, [such as an optomechanical resonator]," Nick Vamivakas, an assistant professor of optics at Rochester University, who led the study, said.
An optomechanical resonator is a structure that allows system vibrations to be affected and controlled by light. In this experiment, the tiny levitating diamond responded to the light.
"We are yet to explore this, but in theory we could encode information in the vibrations of the diamonds and extract it using the light they emit," Vamivakas said.
Trapping the nanodiamond isn't always easy. The researchers must spray an aerosol containing "dissolved nondiamond sprays" into the laser chamber.
"It takes a couple of squirts and in a few minutes we have a trapped nanodiamond; other times I can be here for half an hour before any diamond gets caught. Once a diamond wanders into the trap we can hold it for hours," Graduate student Levi Neukirch, said.
The researchers hope to use the discovery to create Schrödinger Cat states ("macroscopic, or large-scale, systems that are in two quantum states at once").
The experiment could also aid in measuring microscopic displacements in a mirror or metal structure.
The diamonds go through a process called "optical pumping." Defects inside the nanodiamond absorb photons from a laser (separate from the one that is causing them to levitate). The photons "excite the system" causing it to spin. Once the system calms down again, more photons are emitted.
"Levitating particles such as these could have advantages over other optomechanical oscillators that exist, as they are not attached to any large structures," Vamivakas said. "This would mean they are easier to keep cool and it is expected that fragile quantum coherence, essential for these systems to work, will last sufficiently long for experiments to be performed."
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