UKRI funds SEQUIN to probe Earth with a hybrid quantum array
An interdisciplinary collaboration between the Many-Body Quantum Dynamics Group led by Ulrich Schneider at the Cavendish Laboratory, and the Department of Earth Sciences at the University of Oxford, has received a £1.2 million from UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) to probe Earth with a hybrid quantum array.
The project, named SEQUIN for Sensing the Earth with a novel QUantum-classical INterferometer array, brings together quantum sensing and seismic monitoring to improve the detection techniques of extremely faint signals, from gravitational waves in space to deep vibrations within the Earth.
Gravitational waves have transformed how we understand the universe. These ripples in spacetime originate from the most dramatic events in the cosmos, such as colliding black holes, but they are very difficult to detect. Before colliding, black holes orbit each other, producing long-lived gravitational waves that provide more information about their sources. Quantum sensors can measure these faint signals, but they can be masked by natural and human made ground vibrations. Conversely, the Earth’s free oscillations are low frequency vibrations that occur after the planet experiences a large-magnitude earthquake, characterised by natural resonant frequencies. These vibrations are sensitive to structures deep inside the Earth and are equally difficult to detect, even using large networks of seismometers.
Illustration of hybrid array disentangling seismic waves in the Earth and gravitational waves from outer space. Credit: Jeremiah Mitchell, (GoogleData SIO, NOAA, U.S. Navy, NGA, GEBCOLandsat / CopernicusIBCAOU.S. Geological Survey GeoBasis-DE/BKG (©2009) Inst. Geogr. Nacional).
The SEQUIN project will tackle both these challenges through a hybrid approach.
Using real-time data from conventional seismometers alongside the ultra sensitive capabilities of quantum sensors, SEQUIN aims to filter out environmental noise and isolate faint signals with far greater precision than either instrument could alone. This could help unmask gravitational waves in future experiments while also improving detection of long period ground vibrations with repetition times of 100 to 1000 seconds.
Bringing together physics, quantum technology and Earth science, this project will unlock new ways to explore both the cosmos and our planet, opening the door to improved gravitational wave detection and a deeper understanding of the Earth’s internal processes.
The project is further strengthened by contributions from project partners, including the United States Geological Survey (USGS), UKRI-STFC Boulby Underground Laboratory, the University of Glasgow, and the Université de Strasbourg, who will provide expertise and specialised instrumentation, specifically precise and novel seismometers, to enhance the hybrid sensing network.