Optical self-cooling of a membrane oscillator in a cavity optomechanical experiment at room temperature

Year: 2023

Authors: Vezio P., Bonaldi M., Borrielli A., Marino F., Morana B., Sarro P.M., Serra E., Marin F.

Autors Affiliation: Univ Firenze, Dipartimento Fis & Astron, Via Sansone 1, I-50019 Sesto Fiorentino, FI, Italy; Inst Mat Elect & Magnetism, Nanosci Trento FBK Div, I-38123 Povo, Trento, Italy; Trento Inst Fundamental Phys & Applicat, Ist Nazl Fis Nucleare, I-38123 Povo, Trento, Italy; CNR, INO, largo Enr Fermi 6, I-50125 Florence, Italy; INFN, Sez Firenze, Via Sansone 1, I-50019 Sesto Fiorentino, FI, Italy; Delft Univ Technol, Dept Microelect & Comp Engn, ECTM, DIMES, Feldmanweg 17, NL-2628 CT Delft, Netherlands; European Lab Nonlinear Spect, Via Carrara 1, I-50019 Sesto Fiorentino, FI, Italy.

Abstract: Thermal noise is a major obstacle to observing quantum behavior in macroscopic systems. To mitigate its effect, quantum optomechanical experiments are typically performed in a cryogenic environment. However, this condition represents a considerable complication in the transition from fundamental research to quantum technology applications. It is therefore interesting to explore the possibility of achieving the quantum regime in room-temperature experiments. In this work we test the limits of sideband-cooling vibration modes of a SiN membrane in a cavity optomechanical experiment. We obtain an effective temperature of a few millikelvins, corresponding to a phononic occupation number of around 100. We show that further cooling is prevented by the excess classical noise of our laser source, and we outline the road toward the achievement of ground state cooling.

Journal/Review: PHYSICAL REVIEW A

Volume: 108 (6)      Pages from: 63508-1  to: 63508-10

More Information: Research was performed within the Project QuaSeRT funded by the QuantERA ERA-NET Cofund in Quantum Technologies implemented within the European Union’s Horizon 2020 program. We also acknowledge financial sup-port from PNRR MUR Project No. PE0000023-NQSTI.
KeyWords: Quantum Control; Ground-state; Noise; Nanoparticle; Resonators; Motion
DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevA.108.063508

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