Superconducting qubits for particle detection and fundamental tests of quantum mechanics

Conference · Tue Jan 06 00:00:00 EST 2026 · No journal information

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/3011980· OSTI ID:3011980

Seidel, Olivia ^[1]

---

1. Fermilab

Many fundamental questions at the interface of quantum mechanics, gravity, and measurement remain relatively unexplored in the laboratory. These include whether spatial superpositions experience gravitational redshift, how the quantum Zeno effect propagates through entangled systems, and whether quantum information is globally conserved or fundamentally lost during measurement-induced wavefunction collapse. In this colloquium, I will discuss how superconducting qubits—developed primarily for quantum computing—can be repurposed as ultra sensitive detectors to probe these questions and to search for low-energy particle interactions. I will describe my work at Fermilab on stabilizing these devices to the level required for next-generation qubit-based sensors. This includes mitigating decoherence from infrared radiation and cosmic rays, using machine-learning techniques to accelerate superconducting qubit design, and leveraging the quantum Zeno effect to improve coherence times and suppress qubit frequency fluctuations. Together, these advances point toward a new class of quantum sensors capable of testing fundamental physics.

• Research Organization: Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (FNAL), Batavia, IL (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: US Department of Energy
• DOE Contract Number: 89243024CSC000002
• OSTI ID: 3011980
• Report Number(s): FERMILAB-SLIDES-25-0304-STUDENT; oai:inspirehep.net:3097223
• Resource Type: Conference presentation
• Conference Information: Journal Name: No journal information
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English