Quantum microphone works even better than a regular one

By detecting tiny movements of particles of light, a quantum microphone has recorded human speech that is easier to understand than if it is captured by an equivalent classical version

By Alex Wilkins

A quantum microphone can record human speech better than an equivalent classical version, and it could also be adapted for high-resolution biological imaging.

Standard microphones detect the vibrations from sound and convert them into an equivalent electrical signal. Quantum versions should potentially be able to do the same thing but create a clearer recording because of the phenomenon of entanglement, in which particles – such as photons of flight – have linked properties. This potential exists because pairs of entangled photons can measure …