Researchers at the Paul Scherrer Institute have observed an optical phenomenon analogous to the Magnus effect, which causes spinning objects like table tennis balls to curve through the air. In this case, the effect occurs at the atomic scale when tightly focused laser light interacts with a single ion.
The key finding involves the location where laser light interacts most strongly with an ion. Contrary to initial expectations, this strongest interaction point does not occur precisely at the brightest center of the laser beam. Instead, when laser light is focused very tightly, the structure of its electromagnetic field becomes more complex, causing the peak interaction to shift slightly to one side. This sideways displacement represents the optical equivalent of the classical Magnus effect observed in sports.
The discovery holds practical implications for quantum computing applications. Since lasers are frequently used to manipulate qubit states with high precision, the optical Magnus effect could potentially introduce errors if not accounted for in quantum control systems. Conversely, the forces generated by this effect may offer opportunities to couple qubits together, potentially enabling more sophisticated quantum computations.
To detect and measure this effect, the team employed a single calcium ion trapped using electromagnetic fields. The researchers systematically moved the ion through different regions of the focused laser beam and measured interaction strength at each position. This approach allowed the trapped ion to function as an extremely sensitive probe, revealing shifts as small as a few hundred nanometers. The measurements revealed that the magnitude of the sideways shift depends on the wavelength of light but remains independent of how tightly the beam is focused.
The experimental work builds on theoretical predictions made several years earlier by researchers at the University of Amsterdam. This marks the first experimental demonstration of the optical Magnus effect, measured in greater detail than previously possible. The findings were published in Physical Review Letters.
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