A simple superconductor quantum interference device for testing gravity

Abstract

A simple tabletop setup based on a superconductor quantum interference device is proposed to test the gravitational interaction. A D-shaped superconducting loop has the straight segment immersed inside a massive sphere while the half-circle segment is wrapped around the sphere. The superconducting condensate within the straight arm of the loop thus bathes inside a gravitational simple harmonic oscillator potential while the condensate in the half-circle arm bathes in the constant gravitational potential around the sphere. The resulting phase difference at the Josephson junctions on both sides of the straight arm induces a sinusoidal electric current that has a frequency determined by the precise gravitational potential due to the massive sphere.