Aug 09, 2021 18:00:00

What is the ultimate quantum mechanics experimental facility that costs over 100 billion yen?

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'quantum mechanics ', which considers mechanics in micro systems, 'quantum mechanics experiment in outer space ' provides the best possible environment. It takes a huge amount of money of about 1 billion dollars (110 billion yen) to install the equipment for this quantum mechanics experiment in space, but I belong to the University of Tubingen, Germany, why this is necessary. Alessio Belenchia explains.

Test quantum mechanics in space — invest US $ 1 billion
https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-021-02091-8

Infinitely small substances, such as the 'quantum tunneling effect ' in which particles pass through walls, are known to behave differently from the 'classical mechanical world' that is common sense for humans. In recent years, physicists are conducting experiments to investigate the boundary line of how small an object shifts from classical mechanical behavior to quantum mechanical behavior.

Among the objects that behave as 'waves ' belonging to quantum mechanical behavior, the largest one as of 2021 is a molecule called 'Oligoporphyrin'. According to Belenchia, Oligoporphyrin is composed of about 2000 atoms and weighs about 2080 carbon-12s. It is one-thousandth the size of common dust and bacteria.

If we can discover a molecule that has a larger quantum mechanical behavior than Oligoporphyrin, it may be useful for products around us. However, the quantum material interferometer used to measure these molecules is complicated and huge, and difficult to adjust. Furthermore, errors in measurement results caused by interference from gas, light, vibration, etc. are unavoidable problems. In addition, even if a space is constructed in which gas, light, vibration, etc. never interfere, the influence of 'gravity' is inevitable on the ground. As a method of eliminating gravity, there is a method of 'floating particles with a laser or magnetic field', but in this method, the noise that the laser or magnetic field can have causes a deviation in the experimental results. The larger the molecule, the greater the influence of these environmentally-derived elements, so attempts to search for molecules larger than Oligoporphyrin are being dragged by the 'problem of environmental construction.'

Belenchia is proposing a method to solve all of the above problems by 'establishing an experimental facility in outer space.' In addition to being able to exclude the effects of gravity, which is the biggest problem in outer space, it has the advantage of being easy to control the interference of gas and light. On the other hand, in space, it is essential to take measures against vibrations generated by the engine required for the operation of experimental facilities, and cosmic rays and solar wind, which are excluded by geomagnetism and the atmosphere on the earth. The amount of money required to deal with these factors unique to the universe is one billion dollars.

In 2016, the Chinese satellite ' Sumiko ' exchanged quantum cryptography with the ground, and in 2020, ' Bose-Einstein Condensation ' , a type of quantum mechanical phenomenon, was generated at the International Space Station. Is working on quantum mechanical experiments in outer space. However, Belenchia argues that many of these efforts are commercial and that quantum interferometers should be installed in orbit with a billion-dollar international cooperation for pure scientific quest. increase.