Measuring time may not seem like such a complicated thing. As a result, counting the seconds between a certain point in the past and the “now” is not difficult. But once you really start reducing time to the quantum level, things start to get a little more mysterious. First, the “specific point in the past” becomes harder to control, and the “now” becomes even more hazy, making it harder to pinpoint.
But this complexity may soon be resolved. According to research published in Physical Review Research in October 2022, the trick to measuring time in a hazy quantum state may be to measure the shape of the haze itself.
A group of researchers from Uppsala University in Sweden conducted several experiments to test the theory. The main focus of their work was experimenting on what scientists call the Rydberg Condition. With these experiments, they were able to find a new way to measure time that doesn’t require you to have a very precise starting point, and overcome one of the biggest conundrums scientists have ever faced.
One of the easiest ways to visualize this research is to think of Rydberg atoms as overinflated balloons in the particle world. These particles contain electrons in extremely high energy states, all orbiting away from the nucleus of the atom. The researchers used two lasers to interact with the atoms. This technique allowed scientists to measure time by measuring the speed of electrons.
To do this, they continued the experiment by tracing the atoms and the “fingerprints” they left behind. In this way, they were able to create quantum timestamps that made it easy to measure time without having to have a specific starting point already in the quantum world.
Similar experiments in the future could help scientists measure the way this quantum fog is measured, providing a more accurate way to measure the passage of time in the quantum world in smarter ways.
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