News Quantum Physics

A new gravity sensor used atoms’ weird quantum behavior to peer underground

Such devices promise to be more accurate and stable in the long run than other gravity probes

a quantum gravity sensor comprised of a black box connected to a cylinder sits on a sidewalk

Quantum gravity sensors, like the one pictured, can detect objects hidden below ground using the quantum behavior of frigid, free-falling atoms.

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By Maria Temming

The best way to find buried treasure may be with a quantum gravity sensor.

In these devices, free-falling atoms reveal subtle variations in Earth’s gravitational pull at different places. Those variations reflect differences in the density of material beneath the sensor — effectively letting the instrument peer underground.