Quantum-Enhanced High-Throughput Biosensing

Summary: Recent advances in label-free optical trapping and tracking of single biomolecules have demonstrated promising capabilities for studying protein dynamics in their native state. Nonetheless, for scientific impact, higher throughput and greater sensitivity are needed, and to this end we harness the tweezer array architecture employed for atom-array quantum computing: We propose a transformative, two-thrust biosensing platform. In Thrust 1, we will develop waveguide-integrated plasmonic traps on thin-film lithium niobate to achieve quantum-enhanced detection sensitivity via squeezed light generation (Safavi-Naeini, et al.). In Thrust 2, we will implement large-scale plasmonic tweezer arrays with acousto-optic dynamic control—techniques pioneered in neutral atom experiments—to enable massively parallel interrogation of hundreds of individual biomolecules simultaneously. This interdisciplinary approach marries quantum measurement and control methods with state-of-the-art plasmonics biosensing to achieve real-time monitoring of proteins and their conformational changes with unprecedented throughput and sensitivity. The successful integration of both thrusts has the potential to open new frontiers in quantum-enabled drug discovery, disease diagnostics, and fundamental biophysics. By uniting expertise in nanofabrication, quantum optics, and biophysics, our project advances the QSSG mission to foster creative, impactful, and viable research that bridges quantum science and other disciplines.