Probing deformed commutators with macroscopic harmonic oscillators

• Published in: Nature communications Vol. 6; no. 1; p. 7503
• Main Authors: Bawaj, Mateusz, Biancofiore, Ciro, Bonaldi, Michele, Bonfigli, Federica, Borrielli, Antonio, Di Giuseppe, Giovanni, Marconi, Lorenzo, Marino, Francesco, Natali, Riccardo, Pontin, Antonio, Prodi, Giovanni A., Serra, Enrico, Vitali, David, Marin, Francesco
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group UK 19.06.2015; Nature Publishing Group; Nature Pub. Group
• Subjects: 639/766/25; 639/766/483/640; Deformation; Humanities and Social Sciences; multidisciplinary; Science; Science (multidisciplinary)
• ISSN: 2041-1723; 2041-1723
• DOI: 10.1038/ncomms8503

A minimal observable length is a common feature of theories that aim to merge quantum physics and gravity. Quantum mechanically, this concept is associated with a nonzero minimal uncertainty in position measurements, which is encoded in deformed commutation relations. In spite of increasing theoretical interest, the subject suffers from the complete lack of dedicated experiments and bounds to the deformation parameters have just been extrapolated from indirect measurements. As recently proposed, low-energy mechanical oscillators could allow to reveal the effect of a modified commutator. Here we analyze the free evolution of high-quality factor micro- and nano-oscillators, spanning a wide range of masses around the Planck mass m P (≈22 μg). The direct check against a model of deformed dynamics substantially lowers the previous limits on the parameters quantifying the commutator deformation. A minimal observable length leading to deformed commutation relations is a common feature of theories that aim to merge quantum physics and gravity. Here, the authors analyse the free evolution of micro- and nano-oscillators to lower the limits on the parameters quantifying commutator deformation.