When quantum particles work together, they can produce signals far stronger than any one particle could generate alone. This collective phenomenon, called superradiance, is a powerful example of cooperation at the quantum level. Until now, superradiance was mostly known for making quantum systems lose their energy too quickly, posing challenges for quantum technologies.
But a new study published in Nature Physics turns this idea on its head—revealing that collective superradiant effects can instead produce self-sustained, long-lived microwave signals with exciting potential for future quantum devices.
"What's remarkable is that the seemingly messy interactions between spins actually fuel the emission," explains Dr. Wenzel Kersten, first author of the study. "The system organizes itself, producing an extremely coherent microwave signal from the very disorder that usually destroys it."
Researchers from TU Wien (Vienna University of Technology) and the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology (OIST) have demonstrated the first example of self-induced superradiant masing—spontaneous, long-lived bursts of microwave emission generated without external driving.
Their discovery provides a new method for generating highly stable and precise microwave signals, paving the way for technological advances across a variety of important fields, from medicine to navigation and quantum communication.
"This discovery changes how we think about the quantum world," says Professor Kae Nemoto, Center Director of the OIST Center for Quantum Technologies. "We've shown that the very interactions once thought to disrupt quantum behavior can instead be harnessed to create it. That shift opens entirely new directions for quantum technologies."
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