Quantum Light Shows Optical Magnus Effect in Single Ion

An international team led by PSI measured the optical Magnus effect for the first time, observing a lateral shift of a laser's interaction point with a single trapped calcium ion. The shift of several hundred nanometers depends only on wavelength and is key for qubit control.

• Laser-ion interaction point shifted several hundred nanometers
• Shift depends only on laser wavelength, not focusing
• Effect predicted by University of Amsterdam, confirmed in Physical Review Letters
• Effect forces could link qubits to each other