Scientists Plan World’s First Graviton Detector | 24 Jan 2026

Source: TH 

Researchers from Stevens Institute of Technology and Yale University are developing an experiment aimed at detecting gravitons, the hypothetical quantum particles believed to carry gravity, bridging the gap between quantum mechanics and general relativity. 

Graviton 

• About: A graviton is a hypothetical elementary particle believed to carry the force of gravity, similar to how photons carry electromagnetic force. Detecting gravitons would confirm gravity as a quantum force, a major breakthrough in physics. 
• Detection Method: The proposed detector is a superfluid helium resonator, cooled to its quantum ground state to eliminate noise. When a gravitational wave passes through, it could transfer one quantum of energy (a graviton), causing a phonon (vibration) detectable by lasers. 
• Detection Challenges: Gravity is the weakest of the four fundamental forces (Gravity, electromagnetism, strong and weak nuclear forces), making graviton interaction with matter extremely rare. A graviton can pass through matter almost without interaction, giving it an extremely small detection probability. 
• Limitations: Even if a vibration is detected, it may still be explainable by classical gravity. Previous studies suggest that creating a detector capable of capturing a single graviton may be practically impossible. 
• Significance: Successful graviton detection would be a landmark breakthrough, opening pathways toward a unified theory of physics and deeper understanding of the universe.