LEVITAS: Levitodynamics for Accurate Individual Particle Sensing in Space

• URL: http://arxiv.org/abs/2510.24524v1
• Date: Tue, 28 Oct 2025 15:35:23 GMT
• Title: LEVITAS: Levitodynamics for Accurate Individual Particle Sensing in Space
• Authors: Rafal Gajewski, Ravindra T Desai, James Bateman, Bengt Eliasson, Daniel K L Oi, Animesh Datta,
• Abstract summary: We present an in-situ sensing solution based on the dynamics of a levitated nanoparticles (levitodynamics)<n>It can detect and measure impacts of individual particles in rarefied media.
• Score: 0.030786914102688596
• License: http://arxiv.org/licenses/nonexclusive-distrib/1.0/
• Abstract: Accurately observing the rarefied media of the upper atmosphere, exosphere, and planetary and solar system environments and beyond requires highly sensitive metrological techniques. We present the operating concept and architecture of an in-situ sensing solution based on the dynamics of a levitated nanoparticle (levitodynamics). It can detect and measure impacts of individual particles in rarefied media. Dubbed `LEVITAS', our sensor consists of a dispenser of dielectric nanoparticles and optical trapping of a single nanoparticle in the focus of a laser beam. The trapped nanoparticle constitutes a harmonic oscillator at frequencies in the kilohertz range whose position can be tracked at the standard quantum limit by interferometric detection of the laser photons it scatters. Here, we simulate microcanonical impacts on the nanoparticle and show that the density, velocity, temperature, and composition of the surrounding medium can be estimated accurately. We illustrate the performance of LEVITAS in circumstances ranging from low Earth orbit out to exospheric distances, across which individual impacts can be detected at favourable rates. Furthermore, LEVITAS may be employed to accurately measure highly rarefied neutral distributions within vastly different areas of momentum space. This we demonstrate by simulating the measurement of high-velocity neutral gas particles from the interstellar medium penetrating the heliosphere and flowing through our solar system.

Related papers

• A quasi-particle picture for entanglement cones and horizons in analogue cosmology [45.88028371034407]
  We study the appearance of scalar and pseudo-scalar condensates for self-interacting Dirac fermions.<n>We show that the combined breakdown of time-reversal symmetry due to the expanding spacetime, and parity due to a pseudo-scalar condensate, manifests through the structure of the light-cone-like propagation of entanglement.
  arXiv  Detail & Related papers  (2025-03-24T22:20:16Z)
• A New Bite Into Dark Matter with the SNSPD-Based QROCODILE Experiment [55.46105000075592]
  We present the first results from the Quantum Resolution-d Cryogenic Observatory for Dark matter Incident at Low Energy (QROCODILE)<n>The QROCODILE experiment uses a microwire-based superconducting nanowire single-photon detector (SNSPD) as a target and sensor for dark matter scattering and absorption.<n>We report new world-leading constraints on the interactions of sub-MeV dark matter particles with masses as low as 30 keV.
  arXiv  Detail & Related papers  (2024-12-20T19:00:00Z)
• Tunable on-chip optical traps for levitating particles based on single-layer metasurface [0.25128687379089687]
  We experimentally demonstrated that a metasurface which forms two diffraction-limited focal points with a high numerical aperture can generate tunable optical potential wells. Two nanoparticles were levitated in double potential wells for hours, which could be used for investigating the levitated particles nonlinear dynamics, thermal dynamics, and optical binding.
  arXiv  Detail & Related papers  (2024-01-16T22:00:53Z)
• The strongly driven Fermi polaron [49.81410781350196]
  Quasiparticles are emergent excitations of matter that underlie much of our understanding of quantum many-body systems. We take advantage of the clean setting of homogeneous quantum gases and fast radio-frequency control to manipulate Fermi polarons. We measure the decay rate and the quasiparticle residue of the driven polaron from the Rabi oscillations between the two internal states.
  arXiv  Detail & Related papers  (2023-08-10T17:59:51Z)
• All-Optical Nuclear Quantum Sensing using Nitrogen-Vacancy Centers in Diamond [52.77024349608834]
  Microwave or radio-frequency driving poses a significant limitation for miniaturization, energy-efficiency and non-invasiveness of quantum sensors. We overcome this limitation by demonstrating a purely optical approach to coherent quantum sensing. Our results pave the way for highly compact quantum sensors to be employed for magnetometry or gyroscopy applications.
  arXiv  Detail & Related papers  (2022-12-14T08:34:11Z)
• Levitated Optomechanics with Meta-Atoms [0.0]
  We introduce additional control in levitated optomechanics by trapping a meta-atom supporting Mie resonances. We show that optical levitation and center-of-mass ground-state cooling of silicon nanoparticles in vacuum is not only experimentally feasible but it offers enhanced performance.
  arXiv  Detail & Related papers  (2022-11-15T15:50:51Z)
• Fast Quantum Interference of a Nanoparticle via Optical Potential Control [0.0]
  We introduce and theoretically analyze a scheme to prepare and detect non-Gaussian quantum states of an optically levitated particle. We show that this allows operating on short time- and lengthscales, which significantly reduces the demands on decoherence rates in such experiments.
  arXiv  Detail & Related papers  (2022-07-25T21:28:12Z)
• Ponderomotive squeezing of light by a levitated nanoparticle in free space [0.0]
  A mechanically compliant element can be set into motion by the interaction with light. This light-driven motion can give rise to ponderomotive correlations in the electromagnetic field. cavities are often employed to enhance these correlations up to the point where they generate quantum squeezing of light.
  arXiv  Detail & Related papers  (2022-02-18T07:57:36Z)
• Steady motional entanglement between two distant levitated nanoparticles [0.6091702876917279]
  We consider two distant nanoparticles, both of which are optically trapped in two cavities. Based on the coherent scattering mechanism, we find that the ultrastrong optomechanical coupling between the cavity modes and the motion of the levitated nanoparticles could achieve. The large and steady entanglement between the filtered output cavity modes and the motion of nanosparticles can be generated, if the trapping laser is under the red sideband.
  arXiv  Detail & Related papers  (2021-11-23T02:43:18Z)
• Visualizing spinon Fermi surfaces with time-dependent spectroscopy [62.997667081978825]
  We propose applying time-dependent photo-emission spectroscopy, an established tool in solid state systems, in cold atom quantum simulators. We show in exact diagonalization simulations of the one-dimensional $t-J$ model that the spinons start to populate previously unoccupied states in an effective band structure. The dependence of the spectral function on the time after the pump pulse reveals collective interactions among spinons.
  arXiv  Detail & Related papers  (2021-05-27T18:00:02Z)
• Enhanced decoherence for a neutral particle sliding on a metallic surface in vacuum [68.8204255655161]
  We show that non-contact friction enhances the decoherence of the moving atom. We suggest that measuring decoherence times through velocity dependence of coherences could indirectly demonstrate the existence of quantum friction.
  arXiv  Detail & Related papers  (2020-11-06T17:34:35Z)

This list is automatically generated from the titles and abstracts of the papers in this site.

This site does not guarantee the quality of this site (including all information) and is not responsible for any consequences.