The quantum-gravitational imitation game

Abstract

Gravity is the most apparent force in our everyday existence. Yet its fundamental nature remains the most opaque of the known interactions. This gap in our understanding is, in large part, due to the weakness of the gravitational interaction, which makes its empirical probing exceedingly hard. Nevertheless, on the backdrop of rapid advances in quantum technologies, hope has mounted that tests of the quantum nature of gravity could be realized in tabletop experiments. In this essay, we frame these recently proposed tests as quantum-gravitational imitation games. In particular, we examine how gravitational interactions among mechanical oscillators enable the teleportation of arbitrary quantum states and how this can inform fundamental tests of gravity.