Stimulated absorption of single gravitons: First light on quantum gravity

Abstract: In a recent work we showed that the detection of the exchange of a single graviton between a massive quantum resonator and a gravitational wave can be achieved. Key to this ability are the experimental progress in preparing and measuring massive resonators in the quantum regime, and the correlation with independent LIGO detections of gravitational waves that induce stimulated absorption. But do stimulated single-graviton processes imply the quantization of gravity? Here we analyze this question and make a historic analogy to the early days of quantum theory. We discuss in what ways such experiments can indeed probe key features of the quantized interaction between gravity and matter, and outline five experimental tests. This capability would open the first window into experimental exploration of quantum gravity.