The ArgoNeuT collaboration at Fermilab has published measurements of neutrino interactions using new strategies for identifying electron neutrinos. This is a channel critical for future experiments that seek to understand the difference between matter and antimatter in the world of neutrinos.
The international Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment, or DUNE, hosted by Fermilab, will answer one of the biggest open questions in particle physics: How different is the behavior of neutrinos from antineutrinos? The answer rests on our understanding of how electron neutrinos interact in detectors like ArgoNeuT and DUNE across a broad range of energies.
Neutrinos are simultaneously the most abundant particles in the universe and one of the most elusive. One particularly interesting feature that particle physicists study in detail is how frequently each of the three known kinds of neutrinos changes from one type into another as they move through time and space. Think of playing catch with friends: You throw a baseball only to have them catch a softball, or a Wiffle Ball, and you can’t know what they’re going to catch until it’s already in their hands. In this hypothetical game of catch you might ask, if I throw a baseball, how often will they catch a baseball, a softball or a Wiffle Ball? Physicists ask: If I start with a muon neutrino, how often will that muon neutrino be an electron neutrino by the time it interacts in my detector?
An electron neutrino interacts in the ArgoNeuT detector. The incoming neutrino is invisible to the detector until it interacts with an argon nucleus to produce charged particles, which traverse the detector. Image: ArgoNeuT
To answer this question, physicists create beams of one type of neutrino, place a detector some distance away, and then count how many of each type of neutrino are observed by the detector to determine the rate at which each type of neutrino changes into another over that distance. But to accurately count neutrinos, particle physicists first need to understand how to infer the type of neutrino that interacted in a detector.
ArgoNeuT was a small, high-resolution neutrino detector at Fermilab that collected data for six months just over a decade ago. Detectors like ArgoNeuT take high-resolution “pictures” of neutrino interactions. The neutrino itself is nearly invisible to the detector, and most of them pass straight through, never interacting at all. But on the rare occasion that a neutrino interacts with one of the argon atoms in ArgoNeuT, it can create other particles that can be identified. Particle physicists can use information about each particle produced when a neutrino interacts to infer the type and properties of the original neutrino.
The kind and number of particles produced in a neutrino interaction also depends on the energy of the neutrino — neutrinos with more energy tend to produce more particles. Imagine breaking at the start of a game of pool. The harder you hit the white cue ball, the more the other balls will scatter across the table.
One of the biggest challenges in neutrino physics is developing automated algorithms to classify neutrino interactions. Because neutrinos interact so rarely, it can be very hard to sort out the neutrino interactions you’re trying to count from everything else. In fact, among the roughly four million “pictures” collected by the ArgoNeuT detector, only about 100 contain the electron neutrino interactions that were studied in ArgoNeuT’s most recent paper, which presents new strategies for identifying electron neutrinos in detectors like ArgoNeuT.
While muon neutrino interactions with argon have been studied, there remains a lack of data available for understanding electron neutrino interactions, particularly at higher energies. Yet this is exactly the range of neutrino energies that will be most relevant for DUNE, which aims to pin down answers to many of the remaining open questions particle physicists have about neutrinos (and generate new, exciting questions). The strategies developed in ArgoNeuT can be expanded and applied to current and future experiments across a wide range of neutrino energies.
Rory Fitzpatrick and Josh Spitz are University of Michigan physicists. Tingjun Yang is a Fermilab physicist.
The ArgoNeuT experiment is supported by the Department of Energy Office of Science.
Fermilab is supported by the Office of Science of the U.S. Department of Energy. The Office of Science is the single largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences in the United States and is working to address some of the most pressing challenges of our time. For more information, visit science.energy.gov.
Editor’s note: The following press release was issued today by the U.S. Department of Energy. It announces the unveiling of a report that lays out the blueprint strategy for the development of a national quantum internet.
Fermilab planted the seeds for a future quantum internet on its Batavia, Illinois, site in 2017 with the installation of the Caltech-led Fermilab Quantum Network, or FQNET. FQNET is a system developed through a long-term partnership with AT&T, Caltech and Fermilab. In 2018, FQNET successfully demonstrated quantum teleportation at the lab. FQNET also acts as a test bed for state-of-the-art systems developed by Caltech. This year, Caltech achieved a record rate of high-fidelity quantum teleportation.
Using advanced quantum technology and joining with world-leading institutions in quantum information science, Fermilab and its partners are expanding the laboratory’s point-to-point network to a multinode system that will crisscross Chicagoland: the Illinois Express Quantum Network. IEQNET will connect Fermilab, Argonne National Laboratory and Northwestern University’s Evanston and Chicago campuses in a flexible quantum-network architecture. IEQNET leverages the research and technological advances of the FQNET program. This year, IEQNET demonstrated routing of entangled photons generated at FQNET between on-site nodes several kilometers apart.
IEQNET is part of a research program on quantum network technologies funded by the Department of Energy’s Advanced Scientific Computing Research program, which also supports the Inter-campus Network Enabled by Atomic Quantum Repeater Nodes project, led by Brookhaven National Laboratory and Stony Brook University. The Inter-campus Network focuses on key quantum network technologies. The quantum internet blueprint provides a framework for researchers on both efforts work together to build a national quantum internet.
Nationwide effort to build quantum networks and usher in new era of communications
In a press conference today at the University of Chicago, the U.S. Department of Energy unveiled a report that lays out a blueprint strategy for the development of a national quantum internet, bringing the United States to the forefront of the global quantum race and ushering in a new era of communications. This report provides a pathway to ensure the development of the National Quantum Initiative Act, which was signed into law by President Trump in December of 2018.
Around the world, consensus is building that a system to communicate using quantum mechanics represents one of the most important technological frontiers of the 21st century. Scientists now believe that the construction of a prototype will be within reach over the next decade.
In February of this year, DOE National Laboratories, universities and industry met in New York City to develop the blueprint strategy of a national quantum internet, laying out the essential research to be accomplished, describing the engineering and design barriers, and setting near-term goals.
“The Department of Energy is proud to play an instrumental role in the development of the national quantum internet,” said U.S. Secretary of Energy Dan Brouillette. “By constructing this new and emerging technology, the United States continues with its commitment to maintain and expand our quantum capabilities.”
DOE’s 17 National Laboratories will serve as the backbone of the coming quantum internet, which will rely on the laws of quantum mechanics to control and transmit information more securely than ever before. Currently in its initial stages of development, the quantum internet could become a secure communications network and have a profound impact on areas critical to science, industry and national security.
Crucial steps toward building such an internet are already underway in the Chicago region, which has become one of the leading global hubs for quantum research. In February of this year, scientists from DOE’s Argonne National Laboratory in Lemont, Illinois, and the University of Chicago entangled photons across a 52-mile “quantum loop” in the Chicago suburbs, successfully establishing one of the longest land-based quantum networks in the nation. That network will soon be connected to DOE’s Fermilab in Batavia, Illinois, establishing a three-node, 80-mile test bed.
“The combined intellectual and technological leadership of the University of Chicago, Argonne and Fermilab has given Chicago a central role in the global competition to develop quantum information technologies,” said Robert J. Zimmer, president of the University of Chicago. “This work entails defining and building entirely new fields of study, and with them, new frontiers for technological applications that can improve the quality of life for many around the world and support the long-term competitiveness of our city, state and nation.”
“Argonne, Fermilab and the University of Chicago have a long history of working together to accelerate technology that drives U.S. prosperity and security,” said Argonne Director Paul Kearns. “We continue that tradition by tackling the challenges of establishing a national quantum internet, expanding our collaboration to tap into the vast power of American scientists and engineers around the country.”
“Decades from now, when we look back to the beginnings of the quantum internet, we’ll be able to say that the original nexus points were here in Chicago — at Fermilab, Argonne and the University of Chicago,” said Nigel Lockyer, director of Fermilab. “As part of an existing scientific ecosystem, the DOE National Laboratories are in the best position to facilitate this integration.”
A range of unique abilities
The quantum internet will rely on the laws of quantum mechanics to control and transmit information. Image: Pakpoom Makpan/iStock/Getty Images
One of the hallmarks of quantum transmissions is that they are exceedingly difficult to eavesdrop on as information passes between locations. Scientists plan to use that trait to make virtually unhackable networks. Early adopters could include industries such as banking and health services, with applications for national security and aircraft communications. Eventually, the use of quantum networking technology in mobile phones could have broad impacts on the lives of individuals around the world.
Scientists are also exploring how the quantum internet could expedite the exchange of vast amounts of data. If the components can be combined and scaled, society may be at the cusp of a breakthrough in data communication, according to the report.
Finally, creating networks of ultrasensitive quantum sensors could allow engineers to better monitor and predict earthquakes — a longtime and elusive goal — or to search for underground deposits of oil, gas or minerals. Such sensors could also have applications in health care and imaging.
A multilab, multi-institution effort
One of the nodes of Fermilab’s on-site quantum network will be installed at Fermilab’s Feynman Computing Center. Photo: Fermilab
Creating a full-fledged prototype of a quantum internet will require intense coordination among U.S. federal agencies — including DOE, the National Science Foundation, the Department of Defense, the National Institute for Standards and Technology, the National Security Agency and NASA — along with National Laboratories, academic institutions and industry.
The report lays out crucial research objectives, including building and then integrating quantum networking devices, perpetuating and routing quantum information, and correcting errors. Then, to put the nationwide network into place, there are four key milestones: verify secure quantum protocols over existing fiber networks, send entangled information across campuses or cities, expand the networks between cities, and finally expand between states, using quantum “repeaters” to amplify signals.
“The foundation of quantum networks rests on our ability to precisely synthesize and manipulate matter at the atomic scale, including the control of single photons,” said David Awschalom, Liew Family Professor in Molecular Engineering at the University of Chicago’s Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering, senior scientist at Argonne National Laboratory, and director of the Chicago Quantum Exchange. “Our National Laboratories house world-class facilities to image materials with subatomic resolution and state-of-the-art supercomputers to model their behavior. These powerful resources are critical to accelerating progress in quantum information science and engineering and to leading this rapidly evolving field in collaboration with academic and corporate partners.”
“In addition to our collaboration with the University of Chicago, Fermilab is working with Argonne, Caltech, Northwestern University and tech startups to develop the architecture and gradually deploy and connect quantum communication nodes across the city of Chicago. Before long, with this second group of collaborators, we’ll be teleporting data across a metropolitan network,” said Panagiotis Spentzouris, head of quantum programs at Fermilab. “This blueprint is important for telling us how we build this out nationwide.”
Other National Laboratories are also driving advances in quantum networking and related technologies. For example, Stony Brook University and Brookhaven National Laboratory, working with the DOE’s Energy Sciences Network headquartered at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, have established an 80-mile quantum network test bed and are actively expanding it in New York State and at Oak Ridge and Los Alamos National Laboratories. Other research groups are focused on developing a quantum cryptography system with highly secured information.
Editor’s note: This article has been revised to correct the year FQNET successfully demonstrated quantum teleportation at the lab. It has been corrected from 2019 to 2018.
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Fermilab quantum science research is supported by the DOE Office of Science.
Fermilab is supported by the Office of Science of the U.S. Department of Energy. The Office of Science is the single largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences in the United States and is working to address some of the most pressing challenges of our time. For more information, visit science.energy.gov.
Today marked a historic moment for two projects carrying science at the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory into the future. The U.S. Department of Energy’s Under Secretary for Science joined Fermilab leadership and partners for the pair of milestones: the site dedication of the laboratory’s Integrated Engineering Research Center and the groundbreaking for its PIP-II cryoplant building.
“These world-class facilities at Fermilab are going to drive discovery and a leading research program,” said DOE Under Secretary for Science Paul Dabbar. “It’s an exciting moment in our national labs’ history – and a moment flush with potential for the future.”
Partners break ground on the new PIP-II cryoplant building. From left: DOE Fermi Site Office Manager Roger Snyder, Fermilab PIP-II Project Manager Marc Kaducak, Fermilab PIP-II Project Technical Director Arkadiy Klebaner, Fermilab PIP-II Project Director Lia Merminga, DOE Fermi Site Office Federal Project Director Steve Neus, DOE Under Secretary of Science Paul Dabbar, Fermilab PIP-II Conventional Facilities Manager Steve Dixon, Fermilab Director Nigel Lockyer, Fermilab PIP-II In-kind Contribution Technical Integration Manager Allan Rowe, DOE PIP-II Federal Project Director Adam Bihary. Photo: Ryan Postel, Fermilab
The two projects help usher in a new era of science and support cutting-edge research, including the international Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment hosted by Fermilab. This flagship experiment, powered by the Long-Baseline Neutrino Facility, seeks answers to some of the biggest puzzles in physics through the study of minuscule particles called neutrinos.
“The two milestones today reflect the global interest and investment in neutrino research and advancing technology in service of science,” said Fermilab Director Nigel Lockyer. “We’re excited to push forward on these efforts and to see how we can unlock some of the secrets of our universe.”
The Integrated Engineering Research Center will bring together engineers, technicians and scientists to tackle the technical challenges of particle physics. Nestled next to Fermilab’s iconic Wilson Hall, the building will centralize engineering expertise near the core of Fermilab’s campus. The new space will provide room for collaboration, research, design, construction, and tests of technologies related to neutrino research (including LBNF and DUNE), detectors (such as upgrade projects for the Large Hadron Collider at CERN), quantum science programs, electronics and ASIC (application-specific integrated circuit) development, and more.
“It’s critical that we have a dedicated space to bring together experts from all sorts of disciplines to tackle tough challenges and make breakthroughs,” said IERC Project Director Randy Ortgiesen. “And with reconfigurable spaces within the building, the structure can evolve and support the different needs of the lab as new projects arise.”
Partners join to formally dedicate part of the Fermilab site as the new IERC footprint. From left: Fermilab Chief Operating Officer Kate Gregory, DOE Fermi Site Office Manager Roger Snyder, Fermilab Construction Site Management Supervisor Josh Kenney, DOE Under Secretary of Science Paul Dabbar, Fermilab Facilities Engineering and Site Services Head Mark Jeffers, Fermilab IERC Deputy Project Manager Brian Rubik, DOE Fermi Site Office Federal Project Director Steve Neus, Fermilab Director Nigel Lockyer, Fermilab IERC Project Director Randy Ortgiesen. Photo: Ryan Postel, Fermilab
Just a stone’s throw beyond the engineering center, attendees broke ground on a crucial piece of infrastructure for the lab’s future research program: the PIP-II cryoplant building. The structure will house the cryogenic plant equipment, which includes a cold box, warm compressors and infrastructure for the utilities to support the cryoplant operation. Together, they will keep PIP-II, the new linear particle accelerator, cooled to roughly the temperature of outer space.
The cryoplant receives support from institutions in India, just one example of the internationality of the broader PIP-II program. PIP-II is the first U.S. accelerator project built with major international contributions. Partners in France, India, Italy, Poland, the United Kingdom and the United States are contributing to the centerpiece of PIP-II, a new superconducting radio frequency linear accelerator. The PIP-II project also includes upgrades that will enable Fermilab’s accelerator complex to generate particle beams at higher powers than previously available. Once complete, the complex will deliver a one-megawatt-plus proton beam that will be used to make the world’s highest-intensity neutrino beam for DUNE and enable Fermilab’s science program for many decades to come.
“We are building a state-of-the-art particle accelerator and have been fortunate to have such dedicated collaborators around the world who are making this effort possible,” said PIP-II Project Director Lia Merminga. “PIP-II pushes the limits of technology, and that requires bringing together the world’s best minds to make it happen.”
Find more information on DUNE and LBNF and PIP-II.
Fermilab is America’s premier national laboratory for particle physics and accelerator research. A U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science laboratory, Fermilab is located near Chicago, Illinois, and operated under contract by the Fermi Research Alliance LLC, a joint partnership between the University of Chicago and the Universities Research Association, Inc. Visit Fermilab’s website at www.fnal.gov and follow us on Twitter at @Fermilab.
Fermilab work on DUNE and LBNF is supported by the Department of Energy Office of Science.
Fermilab is supported by the Office of Science of the U.S. Department of Energy. The Office of Science is the single largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences in the United States and is working to address some of the most pressing challenges of our time. For more information, visit science.energy.gov.
Fans of Fermilab know that our scientists are experts in the weird realm of quantum physics. For decades, they’ve studied a world that operates on mind-bending principles such as quantum superposition (famously illustrated by Schrödinger’s cat), quantum entanglement (spooky action at a distance!) and quantum of solace (just checking that you’re paying attention).
In recent years, they’ve been harnessing the strange properties of the quantum world to develop game-changing technologies in quantum computing, quantum sensors and quantum communication.
Learn more about the burgeoning field of quantum information science and Fermilab’s contributions by browsing the offerings below. Find out how this research advances our understanding of the universe’s subatomic structure and how this knowledge supports new developments in quantum technology.
Enjoy!
The quantum landscape
Fermilab Quantum Institute
Find out how Fermilab is tackling the challenges of quantum science and technology.
The future of quantum information science
Fermilab Deputy Director of Research Joe Lykken discusses the future of quantum computing and sensing, including the role institutions such as Fermilab will play.
Quantum physics playlist
What is quantum entanglement? Loop quantum gravity? Fermilab scientist Don Lincoln has you covered with these quantum-themed videos.
Fermilab Summer Science Series
Sign up for Fermilab’s free Summer Science Series, online lectures followed by a question and answer session with the presenter and Fermilab staff. It covers a wide variety of topics, including quantum science on Aug. 23, 2020.
Quantum science and particle accelerator technology
Particle accelerator technology could solve one of the most vexing problems in building quantum computers
Researchers are working to determine whether devices used in particle accelerators can help maintain longer qubit lifetimes.
Quantum progress
Fermilab scientists are adapting the lab’s cutting-edge accelerator technology for qubits and quantum sensors.
Quantum computing and engineering
A leap in particle simulation
A Fermilab group finds a way to simulate, using a quantum computer, a class of particles that had resisted typical computing methods.
Worldwide experts gather at Fermilab for first international workshop on cryogenic electronics for quantum systems
Fermilab cryoelectronics experts and leaders in quantum technologies take on the challenges of designing computer processors and sensors that work at ultracold temperatures.
Community and software applications on display at Fermilab quantum science workshop
Representatives from industry join physicists to present software and share ideas about the future of quantum science and technology.
Quantum science and the dark sector
Fermilab scientists to look for dark matter using quantum technology
Their efforts apply research from multiple disciplines to hunt for dark matter – in particular, the much sought-after axion.
Quantum and accelerator science enable mysterious dark sector searches at Fermilab
Fermilab technology developed for particle accelerators offers a valuable opportunity to search for a hypothesized particle that would resemble a particle of light.
MAGIS-100: Atoms in free fall to probe dark matter, gravity and quantum science
A collaboration led by Fermilab and Stanford University combines their expertise in quantum science and accelerator technologies to build the world’s largest atom interferometer.
Fermilab’s quantum science program is supported by the Department of Energy Office of Science.
Fermilab is supported by the Office of Science of the U.S. Department of Energy. The Office of Science is the single largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences in the United States and is working to address some of the most pressing challenges of our time. For more information, visit science.energy.gov.