Quantum Cavity Optomechanics of Levitated Nanoparticles: from Foundations to Technologies

悬浮纳米粒子的量子腔光力学：从基础到技术

• 批准号: EP/N031105/1
• 负责人: Peter Barker
• 金额: $ 110.84万
• 依托单位: University College London
• 依托单位国家: 英国
• 项目类别: Research Grant
• 财政年份: 2016
• 资助国家: 英国
• 起止时间: 2016 至 无数据
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=EP%2FN031105%2F1
• 关键词: Quantum; Cavity; Optomechanics; Levitated; Nanoparticles

Processes in the microscopic world are extremely well described by quantum theory, but yet little is known about the transition to the classical world at macroscopic scales. For example, can a macroscopic object such as a virus be put into a quantum superposition, and if not, what are the processes at these length and mass scales that prevent this? These types of questions are not only important for our fundamental understanding of the world but they will also impact on the development of future engineered macroscopic quantum systems. Until very recently these questions remained a primarily theoretical pursuit because the experimental methods required to prepare and maintain the delicate quantum states in the presence of environmental noise did not exist. This is because even weak interactions between a quantum system and its environment can rapidly destroy them. As such, these systems must be prepared in well controlled isolation, and typically, this often requires cooling to very low temperatures. New experimental techniques now offer the prospect for laboratory tests of macroscopic quantum mechanics. This field, collectively known as quantum cavity optomechanics, uses the controlled interaction of light with the mechanical motion of nanoscale and microscale oscillators, to coherently control their motion. To date quantum ground state cooling has been demonstrated in only a handful of these solid-state devices but a macroscopic superposition, and even non-classical motion, has yet to be observed. A new optomechanical oscillator system that is levitated in vacuum has recently been developed by the UCL group. It uses a novel configuration of electric and optical fields to achieve extremely good isolation from the environment. Cooling from room temperatures down to milliKelvin temperatures has been achieved for the first time, by employing a technique called cavity cooling, with quantum ground state cooling now within reach. Our aim in this research programme is to build on this initial success by using the hybrid technologies to create a well controlled, low dissipation macroscopic oscillator, that can be prepared in its absolute ground state. This system will allow us to explore macroscopic quantum mechanics by preparing and measuring its nonclassical motion. For the first time, we will undertake laboratory tests of theoretical models for macroscopic wavefunction collapse. This will be possible even when the system is not in the ground state. The very low noise and high mechanical Q of this oscillator system also offers significant promise for sensing applications. Therefore as part of this research programme we will begin to explore these more classical applications which includes the development of a new type of in-trap spectrometer capable of measuring mass, charge and shape of nanoparticles, while another strand will seek to use the tunable interactions between the levitated particle for controlling, switching and storing light fields.

微观世界的过程被量子理论很好地描述了，但在宏观尺度上向经典世界的过渡却知之甚少。例如，像病毒这样的宏观物体可以被放入量子叠加态吗？如果不能，在这些长度和质量尺度上阻止这种情况发生的过程是什么？这些类型的问题不仅对我们对世界的基本理解很重要，而且还将影响未来工程宏观量子系统的发展。直到最近，这些问题仍然是一个主要的理论追求，因为在存在环境噪声的情况下制备和维持微妙量子态所需的实验方法还不存在。这是因为即使是量子系统与其环境之间的弱相互作用也能迅速摧毁它们。因此，这些系统必须在良好控制的隔离环境中制备，通常需要冷却到非常低的温度。新的实验技术现在为宏观量子力学的实验室测试提供了前景。这个领域，统称为量子腔光力学，利用光与纳米级和微尺度振荡器的机械运动的受控相互作用，来相干地控制它们的运动。迄今为止，量子基态冷却只在少数这些固态设备中得到了证明，但宏观叠加，甚至非经典运动，还没有被观察到。UCL小组最近开发了一种悬浮在真空中的新型光机械振荡器系统。它采用了一种新颖的电场和光场结构，以实现与环境的极好隔离。通过采用一种称为腔冷却的技术，首次实现了从室温冷却到毫开尔文的温度，量子基态冷却现在已经可以实现了。我们在这个研究项目中的目标是在这个初步成功的基础上，通过使用混合技术来创建一个控制良好、低耗散的宏观振荡器，可以在绝对基态下制备。这个系统将允许我们通过准备和测量其非经典运动来探索宏观量子力学。我们将首次对宏观波函数坍缩的理论模型进行实验室测试。即使系统不在基态，这也是可能的。该振荡器系统的低噪声和高机械Q也为传感应用提供了重要的前景。因此，作为这项研究计划的一部分，我们将开始探索这些更经典的应用，其中包括开发一种新型的能够测量纳米粒子质量、电荷和形状的阱内光谱仪，而另一条链将寻求利用悬浮粒子之间的可调相互作用来控制、开关和存储光场。

项目成果

Gravitons in a box

• DOI: 10.1103/physrevd.104.066019
• 发表时间: 2021-09-16
• 期刊: PHYSICAL REVIEW D
• 影响因子: 5
• 作者: Bose, Sougato;Mazumdar, Anupam;Toros, Marko
• 通讯作者: Toros, Marko

Split-sideband spectroscopy in slowly modulated optomechanics

慢速调制光力学中的分边带光谱

• DOI: 10.1088/1367-2630/18/11/113021
• 发表时间: 2016
• 期刊: New Journal of Physics
• 影响因子: 3.3
• 作者: Aranas E

Quantum noise spectra for periodically driven cavity optomechanics

• DOI: 10.1103/physreva.96.063836
• 发表时间: 2017-10
• 期刊: Physical Review A
• 影响因子: 2.9
• 作者: E. Aranas;M. Akram;D. Malz;T. S. Monteiro

Levitated optomechanics: introduction

• DOI: 10.1364/josab.34.000lo1
• 发表时间: 2017-06
• 期刊: Journal of The Optical Society of America B-optical Physics
• 影响因子: 1.9
• 作者: M. Bhattacharya;A. N. Vamivakas;P. Barker

Entanglement based tomography to probe new macroscopic forces

• DOI: 10.1103/physrevd.106.l041901
• 发表时间: 2022-02
• 期刊: Physical Review D
• 影响因子: 5
• 作者: P. Barker;S. Bose;Ryan J. Marshman;A. Mazumdar