Light’s self-influence unlocks better quantum sensors, says UMD’s Dutt

Avik Dutt of the University of Maryland is applying principles of nonlinear optics, where light intensity alters a material’s interaction with the light itself, to build more sensitive quantum sensors. Dutt’s approach bridges physics and engineering, a combination he first cultivated as an undergraduate at the Indian Institute of Technology in Kharagpur, majoring in electronics and electrical communication engineering with a minor in physics. “When I got the opportunity to work at UMD, I was like, this is a great choice,” Dutt says, citing the university’s strengths in both quantum science and photonics as key to his lab’s focus on the intersection of the two fields. Achieving squeezing levels equivalent to 40% of the noise of darkness, a benchmark indicating substantial progress in minimizing measurement interference within quantum systems, was recently demonstrated by the team. Dutt’s work centers on manipulating light intensity to alter how a material interacts with that same light, effectively allowing light to shape its own behavior. This self-influence is key to building sensors capable of detecting incredibly faint signals, far beyond the reach of conventional devices. Dutt’s approach to squeezing light differs from previous methods by focusing on manipulating quantum uncertainty,…