Stationary entanglement of a levitated oscillator with an optical field
Year: 2026
Authors: Deplano Q., Pontin A., Marino F., Marin F.
Autors Affiliation: Univ Firenze, Dipartimento Fis & Astron, via Sansone 1, Sesto Fiorentino, FI, Italy; INFN, Sez Firenze, via Sansone 1, Sesto Fiorentino, FI, Italy; CNR INO, largo Enr Fermi 6, Florence, Italy; European Lab Non Linear Spect LENS, via Carrara 1, Sesto Fiorentino, FI, Italy.
Abstract: Stationary entanglement between the motion of macroscopic objects and light is a long-standing goal of quantum optomechanics, with implications for both fundamental tests of quantum physics and emerging quantum technologies. We report the generation of quantum entanglement between the center-of-mass motion of a nanosphere levitated in an optical tweezer inside an optical cavity and the electromagnetic field. Using heterodyne detection, we reconstructed the full set of optomechanical correlations and observed a violation of separability bounds between the mechanical motion and a propagating optical mode, demonstrating the distribution of nonclassical correlations beyond the interaction region. The entanglement was generated at room temperature and remained robust over a broad range of parameters. Our results establish levitated optomechanical systems as a platform for continuous-variable quantum communication and for tests of macroscopic quantum physics.
Journal/Review: SCIENCE
Volume: 394 (6819) Pages from: 113 to: 117
More Information: We acknowledge financial support from the Ministero dell’Universita e della Ricerca (MUR) through the PNRR project no. PE0000023-NQSTI and from the European Commission-EU under the Infrastructure I-PHOQS Integrated Infrastructure Initiative in Photonic and Quantum Sciences (IR0000016, ID D2B8D520, CUP D2B8D520).KeyWords: Mechanical Motion; Quantum Control; Nanoparticle; Criterion; StatesDOI: 10.1126/science.aeh1375
