Chip-Scale Cavity Optomechanics for Precision Sensing: Science and Education

纳米制造和腔光力学精密测量的最新进展为量子力学基态制备、光机械射频时钟和振荡器以及运动和力的精确传感提供了显著的新边界。运动加速度传感是地震检波器监测的关键平台，在结构健康监测、井眼和地下地震成像、惯性导航以及消费电子传感器等领域都有应用。通过光驱动和读出，最近在光力学方面的努力已经证明了在标准量子极限和低于标准量子极限下的显著纳米力学运动和力检测，支持了传感平台的潜在突破。该合同通过光学机械读数支持下一代芯片级加速度计，具有前所未有的灵敏度，灵敏度比最先进的商用加速度计高100倍到1000倍。这为结构健康监测、井眼和地震地下成像以及惯性导航提供了新的平台。该项目拓展到代表性不足的社区，向K-12学生和高中科学课程提供教学模块，同时开发一门关于中尺度传感和传感器的新实践实验课程，培训本科生和毕业生进行下一代运动和力检测。在这个奖项中，我们将研究加速传感的芯片级腔光力学，朝着直流和超低频的方向发展，并在集成的芯片级领域模块中进行精确传感。我们的工作分为三个方面：(I)通过射频读出芯片级光机械加速度计的进步，包括最先进的光机械转导和传感；（II）具有直流外部加速度扰动的振荡状态下的精度测量，包括基本噪声限制；集成精密加速度计芯片组，包括检测集成和动态范围考虑。该项目的努力是在集成芯片级CMOS模块中实现的，同时提供前所未有的灵敏度和直流测量机制，每一个都得到我们初步测量的支持。这三个研究重点与教育重点（IV）相结合，主要关注通过面向第一代大学生的双探索中心向K-12学生推广，为哈莱姆和下布朗克斯社区开发现代传感器的高中科学课程，以及一个新的“动手”本科生和研究生传感器实验室。

Recent advances in nanofabrication and precision measurements in cavity optomechanics have afforded remarkable new boundaries in quantum mechanical ground state preparation, optomechanical radio frequency clocks and oscillators, and precision sensing of motion and forces. Motion acceleration sensing is a critical platform for seismic geophones monitoring with applications in structural health monitoring, borehole and seismic underground imaging, inertia navigation, as well as sensors in consumer electronics. Through optical driving and readout, recent efforts in optomechanics have demonstrated remarkable nanomechanical motion and force detection at and below the standard quantum limits, supporting potential breakthroughs in sensing platforms. This award supports next-generation chip-scale accelerometers through optomechanical readout with unprecedented sensitivities, at 100× to 1000× better sensitivities than state-of-the-art commercial accelerometers. This provides new platforms in structural health monitoring, borehole and seismic underground imaging, and inertia navigation. This program outreaches to targeted underrepresented communities, delivering teaching modules to K-12 students and the high-school science curriculum, while developing a new hands-on laboratory course on mesoscale sensing and sensors to train the undergraduates and graduates on next-generation motional and force detection. In this award we will examine chip-scale cavity optomechanics for acceleration sensing, towards the DC and ultralow-frequency regime and in an integrated chip-scale field modules for precision sensing. Our efforts are described in three integrated Thrusts: (I) Advancements of the chip-scale optomechanical accelerometers through RF readout, including state-of-the-art optomechanical transduction and sensing; (II) Precision measurements in the oscillation regime with DC external acceleration perturbations, including fundamental noise limits; and (III) Integrated precision accelerometer chipsets including detection integration and dynamic range considerations. The project's efforts are realized in integrated chip-scale CMOS modules while offering unprecedented sensitivities and in the DC measurement regime, each supported by our preliminary measurements. The three research Thrusts are integrated with an educational Thrust (IV) focusing primarily on outreach to K-12 students through the Double Discovery Center for first-generation college-bound youth, developing a high-school science curriculum on modern sensors for the Harlem and lower Bronx community, and a new "hands-on" undergraduate and graduate Sensors laboratory.