Quantum physics might hold the key to unraveling the mysteries of celestial objects that remain undetectable or poorly observed through telescopes.

In our quest to comprehend the universe, we gather and scrutinize light emitted by stars and various celestial entities. However, this light often doesn’t travel in a straight path. When passing near massive entities like planets or black holes, the light’s trajectory can curve, resulting in a distorted image, akin to having an additional lens in the process.

Considering smaller objects that lack significant mass, traditional imaging strategies often fall short when dealing with “microlensing” effects. Researchers including Liu Zhenning at the University of Maryland have demonstrated that light analysis protocols that respect the quantum aspects may yield superior results.

They aimed to utilize the quantum features of light to deduce the mass of objects responsible for microlensing. According to Liu, microlensing is detectable when light brightness increases, signaling the presence of an object obscuring our view. However, if this object doesn’t possess substantial mass, its weight remains indeterminate from the light characteristics already measured by the telescope. Such bodies could encompass solitary small black holes or wandering planets.

Given that light consists of photons—quantum particles—there’s valuable information embedded in the quantum nature of its journey to Earth. Notably, when a photon encounters multiple paths around an object, the travel time discrepancies impact its quantum properties. Due to the wave-like characteristics of quantum particles, these photons can traverse both paths simultaneously, mimicking a water wave around a rock. The team’s methodology is adept at analyzing the time differences of both routes, which can be transformed into mass estimates for the objects.

Liu mentions that while planets and black holes inducing microlensing may not be completely imperceptible by other means, these techniques could necessitate more light collection, implying the need for larger telescopes. Quantum methods, however, can function effectively even with smaller photon counts.

For instance, his team’s mathematical assessments indicate that their protocol is particularly effective for stars located in the galactic bulge, a section of the Milky Way where dark matter candidates have been previously identified using gravitational lensing techniques. Because this new approach doesn’t demand a sophisticated quantum computer and can be employed with more conventional devices combined with classical computers to capture and analyze individual photons, it’s poised for real-world testing in the near future.

Daniel Oy, a professor at the University of Strathclyde in the UK, asserts that quantum methodologies significantly enhance the extraction of time-delayed data from light, an enhancement he characterizes as a pivotal advancement in quantum technology. He posits that since quantum theory sets limits on measurement precision in physics, it aligns perfectly with the challenge of detecting faint astronomical signals like those from a limited number of photons.

reference: arXiv, DOI: 10.48550/arXiv.2510.07898