Multimode optomechanical system in the quantum regime

We realize a simple and robust optomechanical system with a multitude of long-lived (Q > 10⁷) mechanical modes in a phononic-bandgap shielded membrane resonator. An optical mode of a compact Fabry–Perot resonator detects these modes’ motion with a measurement rate (96 kHz) that exceeds the mechan...

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Published inProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences - PNAS Vol. 114; no. 1; pp. 62 - 66
Main Authors Nielsen, William Hvidtfelt Padkær, Tsaturyan, Yeghishe, Møller, Christoffer Bo, Polzik, Eugene S., Schliesser, Albert
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published United States National Academy of Sciences 03.01.2017
Subjects
Band gap
Low temperature physics
Physical Sciences
Quantum physics
Robust control
quantum correlations
optomechanics
multimode
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Summary:We realize a simple and robust optomechanical system with a multitude of long-lived (Q > 10⁷) mechanical modes in a phononic-bandgap shielded membrane resonator. An optical mode of a compact Fabry–Perot resonator detects these modes’ motion with a measurement rate (96 kHz) that exceeds the mechanical decoherence rates already at moderate cryogenic temperatures (10 K). Reaching this quantum regime entails, inter alia, quantum measurement backaction exceeding thermal forces and thus strong optomechanical quantum correlations. In particular, we observe ponderomotive squeezing of the output light mediated by a multitude of mechanical resonator modes, with quantum noise suppression up to −2.4 dB (−3.6 dB if corrected for detection losses) and bandwidths <90 kHz. The multimode nature of the membrane and Fabry–Perot resonators will allow multimode entanglement involving electromagnetic, mechanical, and spin degrees of freedom.
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Edited by Andrew Cleland, University of Chicago, and accepted by Editorial Board Member Evelyn L. Hu November 22, 2016 (received for review May 25, 2016)
Author contributions: W.H.P.N., C.B.M., E.S.P., and A.S. designed research; Y.T. fabricated samples; W.H.P.N., Y.T., and C.B.M. performed research; W.H.P.N. and A.S. analyzed data; and W.H.P.N., Y.T., and A.S. wrote the paper.
ISSN:0027-8424
1091-6490
DOI:10.1073/pnas.1608412114