Gravity is the least understood fundamental force of nature - there is a 16 order of magnitude disparity between the energy scale of quantum gravity and that of the other Standard Model (electro-weak) forces. The mystery can be cast in another way: why is gravity so much weaker than the other Standard Model forces? This award funds research on the characteristics of gravity at sub-millimeter distances to be conducted through the use of cryogenic micro-cantilever beams which allow measurements of gravitational forces at sub-100 micron length scales at the atto-Newton level. The force sensitivity of these micro-cantilever experiments is limited by mechanical dissipation. To mitigate this mechanical loss, we will develop a novel apparatus to trap and cool dielectric nanospheres using lasers. By optically levitating the force sensor, an exquisite decoupling from the environment is possible.
Studies such as ours could lead to exciting new discoveries of physics beyond the Standard Model which has recently been famously validated by the detection of what appears to be the Higgs boson. Our research program is at the forefront of current knowledge and enhances the scientific competency of the state of Nevada, which is currently under-represented in terms of scientific endeavor. Additional efforts are undertaken to bring this exciting research to the general university population through a series of scheduled lectures for incoming college freshmen interested in the sciences. Also, public lectures are presented to encourage young people in Nevada to pursue career in science.
