Skip to main content

Hudson Loughlin

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Supervisors: Vivishek Sudhir (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) – Nergis Mavalvala (Massachusetts Institute of Technology)

Short Bio: I’m a PhD candidate in MIT’s physics department, where I work on quantum optics and precision metrology. I’m interested in studying quantum and classical limits to precision measurements and in designing experiments to reach these fundamental limits in devices such as interferometers, lasers, and angle sensors. Often, reaching the classical limit, or “standard quantum limit,” requires considerable precision engineering. Exceeding the standard quantum limit requires engineering the devices’ underlying quantum state by using “squeezed light” or other techniques. This research naturally incorporates the theory of quantum noise and stochastic systems with carefully classical and quantum engineered experiments to reach these quantum bounds. I plan to leverage my background alongside the deep expertise in classical and quantum engineering available at MIT to develop a quantum-enhanced clock.

Constructing the first quantum-enhanced clock

Project summary:  All clocks rely on stable oscillations to keep time, and their accuracy is ultimately limited by disturbances to these oscillations. While environmental factors like temperature changes and friction can be mitigated, quantum mechanics imposes a fundamental performance limit. This limit is essentially dictated by Heisenberg’s uncertainty principle, which imposes a minimal amount of quantum fluctuations. To date, our research has quantified how these quantum fluctuations affect clock performance theoretically. Building on these insights, we plan to demonstrate the first experimental realization of a quantum-enhanced clock.
We aim to develop the world’s first quantum-enhanced clock using an “opto-electronic oscillator”. To achieve this, we will first isolate the oscillator from environmental disturbances, ensuring its performance is limited only by quantum fluctuations. Then, we will engineer its quantum state to suppress these fluctuations, enhancing its performance.

Image from MIT News.

Our approach draws inspiration from the LIGO gravitational wave detectors, which have successfully pushed measurement precision to the quantum limit by incorporating a deep understanding of the theoretical origins of quantum noise with cutting edge classical and quantum engineering. By adapting techniques used in LIGO to suppress classical and quantum noise, we aim to demonstrate precision timekeeping at and beyond the quantum limit.

This research will not only improve the stability of our opto-electronic oscillator clock but pave the way for enhancing other precision systems, such as atomic clocks. Advancing clock accuracy at this level has profound implications, from improving GPS technology to enabling new discoveries in fundamental physics.