Quantum sensor could measure how Earth drags spacetime
Researchers from UC Berkeley and other institutions have proposed a quantum sensor experiment using superfluid helium to measure the frame-dragging effect predicted by Einstein's general relativity. The study aims to detect how Earth's rotation subtly warps the surrounding spacetime in a laboratory setting.
Why it matters
Advancements in quantum sensing could lead to more precise tests of fundamental physics and improve our understanding of gravity.
edited by Sadie Harley , reviewed by Robert Egan
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Add to Preferred Sources Graphical image summarizing the study. Credit: K.-I. Ellers/University of California, Berkeley. Einstein's theory of general relativity describes gravity as the bending of spacetime, a mathematical model that combines three-dimensional space and time into a single, four-dimensional continuum. The theory also predicts that a rotating object, such as Earth, slightly drags the surrounding spacetime as it rotates, a phenomenon known as frame-dragging.
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