Quantum Squeezing: Unlocking Precision in Measurement and Beyond

On 16th Sep 2025, the Quantum Sensing Centre hosted a Tech Talk, inviting Dr Syed M. Assad from the Quantum Innovation Centre at A*STAR to share his expertise on squeezed light in a talk titled “Quantum Squeezing: Unlocking Precision in Measurement and Beyond”.

Dr Syed completed his PhD jointly at NUS and the Australian National University (ANU) and has held research positions at the Centre for Quantum Technologies and ANU’s Quantum Optics group. He is currently a Principal Scientist at the Quantum Innovation Centre. His research focuses on quantum metrology and quantum algorithms.

When doing quantum measurements, Heisenberg’s uncertainty principle sets a fundamental limit on how precisely certain pairs of physical properties can be simultaneously known. Dr Syed’s talk on quantum squeezing elaborates on the redistribution of these uncertainties, enabling enhanced measurement precision beyond the standard quantum limit. It explored how squeezed quantum states are used to suppress quantum noise in key observables. One prime application of squeezing is in the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO), where the improvement of sensitivity enabled by squeezed light has allowed researchers to detect gravitational waves emanating from two merging black holes for the first time in 2015.

Dr Syed also highlighted the recent advances in how squeezed light is generated, along with key challenges and innovations currently shaping the field. The QSC team and Dr Syed proceeded with a technical discussion session in the afternoon, discussing possible implementations of squeezed light for developing even more sensitive quantum sensors.

Thank you to everyone who came to attend the Tech Talk hosted in QSC. If you have any queries regarding Tech Talks, please contact us at qsc@dso.org.sg.