Tobias Kippenberg

EPF Lausanne, Switzerland
MPI for Quantum Optics, Germany

Tobias Kippenberg (left) with Atac Imamoglu
Tobias Kippenberg (left) with Atac Imamoglu

Date

25 February 2009

Host

Atac Imamoglu

Title

Cavity Optomechanics: Backaction-Cooling of Mechanical Oscillators

Abstract

The mutual coupling of optical and mechanical degrees of freedom via radiation pressure has been a subject of interest in the context of quantum limited displacements measurements for Gravity Wave Detection for many decades. Recent advances in nano- and micro-mechanical oscillators have allowed observing for the first time radiation pressure phenomena in an experimental setting and constitute the emerging research field of Cavity Optomechanics. In this talk I will describe the advances the Max Planck Institute of Quantum Optics has made in this field. Using on chip micro-cavities that combine both optical and mechanical degrees of freedom in one and the same device, radiation pressure back-action of photons is shown to lead to effective cooling of the mechanical oscillator mode. This backaction cooling exhibits many close analogies to the Physics of Atomic Laser Cooling and the case of resolved sideband cooling is discussed. This technique is well known in Atomic Physics to provide ground state cooling. Moreover the ability to monitor the motion of the oscillator with a quantum limited sensitivity of 10-18m/√(Hz) will be presented and cooling of a mechanical oscillator to average occupancy of 63 phonons described. These experiments may allow exploring a variety of predictions of quantum measurement theory and mark a first step towards the quantum nature of the most tangible harmonic oscillator: a mechanical vibration.

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