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Researchers Cool Silica Nanorotor to Quantum Ground State

4/13/2026

Summary

Story summary

Researchers from the University of Vienna, Vienna University of Technology (TU Wien), and Ulm University cooled a silica nanorotor’s rotational motion to its quantum ground state.
They used intense light and coherent scattering cooling to confine the rotor’s orientation within quantum limits.
The findings, published in Nature Physics, show energy remains above absolute zero enabling precise orientation control.
The work opens pathways for rotational matter-wave interferometry and quantum torque sensing.

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Story summary

Researchers from the University of Vienna, Vienna University of Technology (TU Wien), and Ulm University cooled a silica nanorotor’s rotational motion to its quantum ground state.
They used intense light and coherent scattering cooling to confine the rotor’s orientation within quantum limits.
The findings, published in Nature Physics, show energy remains above absolute zero enabling precise orientation control.
The work opens pathways for rotational matter-wave interferometry and quantum torque sensing.