Toward graviton detection via photon-graviton quantum state conversion
Phys. Rev. D 112, 103504 – Published 3 November, 2025
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/kxs5-yp85
Abstract
A magnetic field enables the interconversion of photons and gravitons, yet the process is usually analyzed only at the level of classical wave equations. We revisit photon-graviton conversion in a quantum field theoretic framework, allowing us to track the evolution of arbitrary quantum states. Treating the photons as squeezed coherent states and the gravitons as the squeezed vacuum expected for primordial gravitational waves, we derive analytic expressions for the conversion probability and show that it can be significantly enhanced compared to the conventional estimate. We further demonstrate that the conversion both swaps preexisting entanglement and generates genuinely new entanglement between the electromagnetic and gravitational sectors, which is impossible in any classical description. Detecting such nonclassical correlations would constitute compelling evidence for the quantization of gravity and offers a novel pathway toward graviton detection.
