Einstein's Theory of Gravity Could Be Shaken by a Cold Beam of Atoms
The measurement is the first direct test of the predicted quantum phase of a freely falling object, researchers said.
- On September 14, 2026, researchers at the Paul Scherrer Institute and ETH Zurich reported in Nature Physics the creation of a high-intensity, superthermal muonium beam designed to test Einstein's equivalence principle on second-generation particles.
- Muonium decays in about 2.2 millionths of a second, and older methods using porous materials scattered atoms unpredictably, preventing scientists from conducting precise gravity experiments with this exotic particle.
- By stopping anti-muons in a two-millimeter layer of superfluid helium chilled to near absolute zero, researcher Jesse Zhang and the team achieved atoms moving at about 2,180 meters per second, converting about 8 percent of anti-muons into usable muonium.
- Separately, on September 2, 2026, Professor Ron Folman of Ben-Gurion University of the Negev reported in Science Advances that a falling quantum wave behaves exactly as Einstein's equivalence principle predicts, marking the first direct measurement of this quantum phase.
- Physicists now plan to build an interferometer to measure muonium's gravitational acceleration within two to three years, potentially revealing whether gravity acts differently on exotic matter or points to a fifth force of nature.
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Einstein’s Gravity Just Passed a Strange New Quantum Test
An experiment comparing falling and stationary rubidium atomic waves found a quantum phase difference consistent with Einstein’s equivalence principle. A rubidium atom can behave as a wave that researchers can split between two paths. This allows the same atom to effectively follow both paths at once, without being broken into pieces. Physicists have now used [...]
Researchers at the Paul Scherrer Institute PSI and ETH Zurich have produced an intense, cold beam of exotic atoms, which aims to test the basis of Einstein's gravitational theory – the universality of free fall.
A recent experiment carried out by a team of researchers confirmed Einstein's principle of equivalence by comparing free and stationary ruby atomic waves. The research, published in Science Advances, represents a significant advance in understanding quantum gravity. Description of the experiment with atomic waves Researchers used a device called Galileo Quantum Interferometer, designed to separate and gather atomic waves. The team, led by the Be…
Scientists have developed a new method for generating cold muonium beams using superfluid helium. This opens up the possibility of testing Einstein's equivalence principle on second-generation particles.
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