Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology researchers move 1 cm object using electron spin

Researchers at the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology have achieved a significant milestone in quantum physics by using a quantum force related to electron spin to move a macroscopic object measuring one centimeter. This achievement, published in the journal Science Advances, represents a scale increase of nine orders of magnitude compared to previous experiments that could only manipulate single atoms or microscopic systems.

The experimental setup involved a one-centimeter graphite plate suspended via diamagnetic levitation over a grid of magnets. Attached to this plate was a 3-millimeter diamond containing nitrogen-vacancy (NV) centers—atomic defects that host controllable electron spins. By illuminating these centers with a laser and utilizing an additional magnet, the team converted spin orientation into a mechanical force.

The apparatus, weighing approximately 128 milligrams, moved roughly 100 nanometers. While the physical displacement is small, physicists note that it demonstrates a classical mechanical response generated by a quantum force on a much larger scale than previously possible. The use of NV centers is particularly significant because they maintain quantum coherence at room temperature, offering potential future applications for placing macroscopic objects into quantum superposition states.