U.S. Scientists Use ‘Light With A Twist’ To Detect Hidden Nuclear Threats

A group at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) is leading a state-of-the-art initiative that could fundamentally alter how we detect and assess nuclear materials. Scientist Moussa N’Gom is leading the project, which intends to create a sophisticated quantum-sensing probe that can remotely detect and analyze unique nuclear components without needing to come into direct contact with them.

At the heart of this groundbreaking research is a project known as “Light with a Twist: An Adaptive Quantum Sensing Probe in Which a Bright Single Photon Source is Guided in Free Space To Remotely Interact, Detect, and Characterize Special Nuclear Materials.” This innovative initiative is part of RPI’s involvement in the Consortium for Enabling Technologies and Innovation, which is funded by the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration (DOE/NNSA).

Recently, the DOE/NNSA announced a sizable award of $50 million to assist nuclear security and nonproliferation improvements, split between two university consortia. By bridging the knowledge gap between basic research at universities and practical laboratory work, these grants hope to develop a pool of future professionals who will support efforts related to nuclear security.

Los Alamos National Laboratory, Argonne National Laboratory, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, and twelve other national laboratories collaborate in one of the consortia headed by the Georgia Institute of Technology. The goal of these organizations working together is to advance the fundamental research that underpins nuclear security and nonproliferation efforts.

 “These consortia are critical to the future of NNSA’s nuclear security and nonproliferation research and development work. Once they develop a concept, the national laboratories can iterate and test its capabilities until it’s ready for the private sector to adopt,” said Jeff Chamberlin, head of NNSA’s nonproliferation efforts.

RPI’s contribution to this initiative is focused on utilizing light to create a novel spectroscopy- and optics-based method for nuclear trial verification. “In a single photon source, whenever a first photon has shown up, the same photon is guaranteed to follow, allowing for precise timing and control,”  N’Gom explained.

Curt Breneman, Dean of Rensselaer’s School of Science, highlighted the significance of this research, noting, “Dr. N’Gom’s project is leveraging quantum sensing techniques, which allow for detection of the change in environment due to the presence of special nuclear materials and other phenomena in a very precise way.”

The national laboratories will test the finalized quantum sensing probe to make sure it is ready for commercial use. This cutting-edge technology could significantly advance nuclear security by improving the accuracy and efficacy of nuclear material detection.