Oxford Physicists Design Quantum Antigravity Machine, Eye Early-2030s Test

Q: With quantum tech booming, could lab-made repulsive gravity become a reality by the 2030s?

Probably not as a practical technology by the 2030s, but a lab demonstration of an effective repulsive gravitational effect is no longer pure science fiction. What is being discussed is not a machine that cancels gravity in the everyday sense. The proposal by Chiara Marletto, Pablo Saldanha and Vlatko Vedral is a highly specialized quantum experiment. It would use a mass in quantum superposition and a measurement trick called post-selection to produce an effective repulsive gravitational signal in selected outcomes. That would be evidence that gravity can behave in a genuinely quantum way, not proof of a usable antigravity device. The nearer-term milestone is the BVM or QGEM-style experiment, which aims to show that two tiny masses become entangled through gravity alone. If that succeeds, it would be a major sign that gravity is quantum. Several leading groups are pursuing this, but the technical barriers are severe: extreme isolation from noise, control of massive superpositions, and suppression of decoherence. Researchers involved in the work have said conclusive results could come in the early 2030s. That makes a proof-of-principle repulsive-gravity result conceivable on that timescale. But it remains speculative and depends on earlier quantum-gravity tests succeeding. So the realistic answer is this: by the 2030s, physics may be able to demonstrate a tiny, post-selected, laboratory version of “repulsive gravity.” A practical antigravity technology is far less likely.

3 articles · Updated · Yahoo · Jun 19

Oxford researchers say a proposed antigravity machine would produce repulsion only if gravity is quantum, making it a potential test of physics’ biggest unresolved problem.
The design extends the BMV experiment: one mass is put into a superposition of two positions, and a second mass feels different attractions that can yield repulsion after a specific post-selected measurement outcome.
The team argues that average gravity remains attractive; the repulsive effect appears only in one measurement branch, which they say would be impossible under a purely classical theory of gravity.
Two masses in the underlying BMV setup would become entangled if gravity is quantum, creating four distinct gravitational ripples instead of two and offering the core evidence the antigravity concept depends on.
World-leading quantum groups are racing to build such experiments, and the Oxford-led researchers said they expect conclusive results in the early 2030s.

Sources

Yahoo1d ago

Oxford Physicists Design Antigravity Machine Based on Quantum Gravity Principles

AOL1d ago

We Can Make an Antigravity Machine—And Unlock a 'Mind-Blowing' Future, Oxford Physicist Says - AOL

Popular Mechanics1d ago

Oxford Physicist Says an Antigravity Machine May Be Possible

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Testing Quantum Gravity: Oxford’s BMV Experiment and the Quest for Conditional Antigravity in the Early 2030s

Overview

Oxford University, led by physicists Vlatko Vedral and Chiara Marletto, has launched a groundbreaking initiative to test whether gravity is fundamentally quantum. Their novel BMV experiment is designed to see if gravity can entangle two small masses placed in quantum superposition. If successful, this would provide definitive evidence that gravity has a quantum character, helping to resolve one of the deepest questions in modern physics. The team also proposes a theoretical framework for a quantum antigravity machine, aiming to open new ways to manipulate gravity and potentially revolutionize future technologies.

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