New quantum sensor could count individual photons and hunt dark matter Scientists just detected one of the tiniest energy signals ever measured â a breakthrough that could transform quantum computing and dark matter searches. - Date: - May 20, 2026 - Source: - Aalto University - Summary: - Researchers have built an ultra-sensitive sensor capable of detecting unimaginably small amounts of energy â below one zeptojoule. The breakthrough relies on fragile superconducting materials that react to even the slightest temperature change. This level of precision could improve quantum computers, enable photon counting, and even help scientists detect elusive dark matter particles from space. - Share: Researchers in Finland have achieved a major advance in ultra-sensitive measurement technology by detecting an amount of energy smaller than one zeptojoule, less than a trillionth of a billionth of a joule. The breakthrough could improve quantum computing technology, support the search for dark matter, and eventually make it possible to count individual photons. Quantum mechanics operates on incredibly tiny scales, and scientists are constantly developing more precise tools to measure and control phenomena such as photons, the particles that carry light. Greater precision can open the door to more powerful quantum devices and new ways of studying some of the universe's biggest mysteries. A zeptojoule is an almost unimaginably small quantity of energy. It is roughly equivalent to the amount of work needed to move a red blood cell upward by one nanometer in Earth's gravity. The research team was led by Academy Professor Mikko Möttönen at Aalto University in collaboration with quantum computing company IQM and the Technical Research Centre of Finland (VTT). Their findings were published in the journal Nature Electronics. Ultra-Sensitive Quantum Energy Detector To reach this level of sensitivity, the researchers used a calorimeter, a device designed to measure extremely