Levitated Micromagnets in Superconducting Traps: A New Platform for Tabletop Fundamental Physics Experiments

Abstract

Magnetically levitated microparticles have been proposed as mechanical sensors with extreme sensitivity. In particular, micromagnets levitated above a superconductor can achieve very low levels of dissipation and thermal noise. In this paper, we review recent initial experiments and discuss the potential for using these systems as sensors of magnetic fields and rotational motion, as well as possible applications to fundamental physics.

Keywords

• magnetic levitation
• magnetometry
• fundamental physics