Yale researcher David Moore discussed practical experiments using levitated microspheres as quantum sensors to detect neutrinos, aiming to spot them within months.
Moore's previous work involved detecting alpha decay of lead-212 atoms using trapped silica spheres, winning a Physics World award in 2024.
The new experiment involves stabilizing silica spheres' rotation, cooling them to microkelvin temperatures, and measuring tiny recoils by watching light scatter off the spheres.
The team plans to use the setup to detect neutrinos by embedding spheres with nuclei undergoing beta decay, potentially leading to dark matter detection.
The experiment, named 'Search for new Interactions in a Microsphere Precision Levitation Experiment' (SIMPLE), is part of Physics World's contribution to the 2025 International Year of Quantum Science and Technology.