Mechanical dissipation and phonon-induced decoherence in nanomechanical and optomechanical systems

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State of the art opto- and nano-mechanical setups are close to allowing for the observation of quantum effects in a ‘macroscopic’ mechanical system. This will both, further the investigation of foundational issues in quantum physics and provide promising alternatives for technological applications, for instance in the detection of magnetization at the single spin level. A major challenge in this context is to understand and control mechanical dissipation in these systems. This applies, in particular, to ‘atomic-sized’ nanomechanical structures such as carbon nanotubes, which are emerging as ideal candidates for the coherent control of localized electronic degrees of freedom by electrical and optical means. A fundamental issue in such low dimensional solid-state systems is how phonon-induced decoherence limits their performance. This project will address current open problems concerning the mechanical dissipation and phonon-induced decoherence in suspended nanostructures. Specifically, we will study the role of stress in the internal dissipation of nanomechanical resonators and the role of phonon confinement in the decoherence of embedded two-level photon emitters using an extended spin-boson model.