Bulletin of the American Physical Society
APS March Meeting 2017
Volume 62, Number 4
Monday–Friday, March 13–17, 2017; New Orleans, Louisiana
Session V13: Optomechanical and Nanomechanical Architectures and Measurements |
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Sponsoring Units: DAMOP GQI Chair: Matt Woolley, University of New South Wales, Australia Room: 272 |
Thursday, March 16, 2017 2:30PM - 2:42PM |
V13.00001: Surface acoustic wave resonators with strong electromechanical coupling K. J. Satzinger, G. A. Peairs, E. Dumur, Y. Zhong, A. N. Cleland Surface acoustic wave (SAW) devices are heavily used in classical signal processing applications. SAWs have also been proposed as a method of coherently coupling disparate quantum systems. Several groups have reported experimental results with SAWs at gigahertz frequencies and millikelvin temperatures. In this talk, we explore important design and fabrication considerations for building SAW resonators with strong electromechanical coupling. We examine the implications of material properties, such as piezoelectric coupling strength and acoustic velocity. We also discuss design decisions that determine the resonance frequency, free spectral range, and various bandwidths in the device response. We present experimental results in SAW resonators, at room temperature and low temperature, considering various loss mechanisms. [Preview Abstract] |
Thursday, March 16, 2017 2:42PM - 2:54PM |
V13.00002: Dissipative Optomechanical Preparation of Macroscopic Quantum Superposition States Carlos Navarrete-Benlloch, Mehdi Abdi, Peter Degenfeld-Schonburg, Mahdi Sameti, Michael J. Hartmann The transition from quantum to classical physics remains an intensely debated question even though it has been investigated for more than a century. Further clarifications could be obtained by preparing macroscopic objects in spatial quantum superpositions and proposals for generating such states for nanomechanical devices either in a transient or a probabilistic fashion have been put forward. Here, we introduce a method to deterministically obtain spatial superpositions of arbitrary lifetime via dissipative state preparation. In our approach, we engineer a double-well potential for the motion of the mechanical element and drive it towards the ground state, which shows the desired spatial superposition, via optomechanical sideband cooling. We propose a specific implementation based on a superconducting circuit coupled to the mechanical motion of a lithium-decorated monolayer graphene sheet, introduce a method to verify the mechanical state by coupling it to a superconducting qubit, and discuss its prospects for testing collapse models for the quantum to classical transition. [Preview Abstract] |
Thursday, March 16, 2017 2:54PM - 3:06PM |
V13.00003: Macroscopic Entangled State Generation with Optomechanical Coupling of Two Mechanical Modes Matthew Weaver, Fernando Luna, Frank Buters, Kier Heeck, Sven de Man, Dirk Bouwmeester Mechanical resonators with a large quantum position uncertainty are an excellent test system for proposed decoherence mechanisms in massive systems. We present a scheme to optomechanically entangle two mechanical resonators with large frequency separation via two tone driving and single photon projection measurements. The quantum position uncertainty can be tuned with a variable optical pulse displacement operation, and independent single photon readout of the two resonators provides robust verification of the quantum states of the system. This scheme is currently experimentally feasible in a number of high mass opto- and electro-mechanical systems. We demonstrate one such system with two spatially and frequency separated Si$_3$N$_4$ trampoline resonators. We also show how the resonators can be coupled with two tone driving and the single photon optomechanical coupling rates can be tuned. [Preview Abstract] |
Thursday, March 16, 2017 3:06PM - 3:18PM |
V13.00004: Shelving-style phonon-number detection in quantum optomechanics Yariv Yanay, Aashish Clerk A central goal of quantum optomechanics is to detect the quantization of mechanical energy. We propose and analyze a novel method for optomechanical quantum non-demolition detection of phonon number, based on a "shelving" style measurement. The scheme uses a cavity with two optical modes whose energy difference is near-resonant with the mechanical frequency. The combination of a strong optical drive and the underlying nonlinear optomechanical interaction gives rise to spin-like dynamics which facilitate the measurement. We discuss the advantages of our scheme over approaches that focus on regimes where the optomechanical coupling can be treated perturbatively; in particular, our approach allows a parametrically faster measurement. [Preview Abstract] |
Thursday, March 16, 2017 3:18PM - 3:30PM |
V13.00005: Longitudinal acoustic phonon modes in ultra-thin GaAs resonator Maxim Zalalutdinov, Douglas Photiadis, Sam Carter, Allan Bracker, Mijin Kim, Chul Soo Kim, Dan Gammon, Brian Houston A nanomechanical thin-plate resonator implemented in GaAs and operated in SHF band, with the fundamental mode at 13GHz is presented. An increase in the resonant frequency by factor of 5x, compared to GaAs devices featuring in-plane extensional modes is provided by invoking longitudinal soundwaves that match the submicron thickness of the suspended GaAs plate (aka organ-pipe modes). An ultrafast optical pump-probe setup was used to excite and to readout the mechanical motion of the nanostructure. We present experimental data showing the optical response to SHF sound waves and a model for the transduction mechanism. Our analysis highlights the lateral confinement of the elastic Lamb-type waves in a suspended plate as a prime factor that governs the energy loss in our resonators. The ability to alter the degree of such confinement for elastic excitations in membranes using nano-patterned structures allows one to implement a wide range of acoustic devices from an isolated cavity to phononic waveguides and to couple them to optical structures. Given the atomic layer precision in MBE-grown GaAs film thickness and a wide range of optical devices available in GaAs we anticipate that demonstrated control over high frequency phonons will open new opportunities in optomechanics. [Preview Abstract] |
Thursday, March 16, 2017 3:30PM - 3:42PM |
V13.00006: Optical resonators based on photonic crystal membranes integrated with hollow-core fibers Jeremy Flannery, Michal Bajcsy Fabry-P\'{e}rot resonators integrated in hollow-core photonic-crystal fibers (HCPCFs) would offer a platform for enhanced light-matter interactions through which optical nonlinearities arising in the presence of just a few photons can be achieved. We propose to implement such optical cavities by attaching photonic-crystal (PC) membranes acting as dielectric metasurface mirrors to the ends of a HCPCF piece. The holes of the PC membrane would allow laser-cooled or room-temperature atomic gases to be loaded into this fiber-integrated cavity and act as an optically dense medium in which optical nonlinearities can be engineered. We report our progress on fabrication of these cavities with high-reflectivity dielectric metasurface mirrors. We present the results of our numerical simulations optimizing the reflectivity of a PC membrane for the HCPCF mode, the design of PC membranes with polarization-selective reflectivity, reflectivity measurements of fabricated membranes, and a first experimental demonstration of an assembled cavity. We also discuss potential applications of this platform with a focus on optical transistors controlled by single photons. [Preview Abstract] |
Thursday, March 16, 2017 3:42PM - 3:54PM |
V13.00007: Frequency tuning and coherent dynamics of two nanostring resonators in the strong coupling regime Hans Huebl, Matthias Pernpeintner, Philip Schmidt, Daniel Schwienbacher, Rudolf Gross Coupled nanomechanical resonators are interesting model systems for studying synchronization effects and nonlinear dynamics. This, however, requires the possibility to tune the relevant mode frequencies independently and to operate the resonators in the strong coupling regime. Here, we present a possible realization consisting of two high-quality nanostring resonators, coupled mechanically by a shared support structure. First, we demonstrate that the fundamental mode frequencies of both nanostrings can be tuned independently by a strong drive tone resonant with one of the higher harmonic modes. This technique relies on an effective increase of the pre-stress in a highly excited nanobeam, known as geometric nonlinearity. Using this frequency tuning concept, we investigate the coherent dynamics of the two strongly coupled nanostring resonators. With the two nanobeams tuned in resonance, we observe oscillations corresponding to Rabi oscillations, which indicates coherent excitation transfer between the fundamental modes of the two nanostrings. In addition, experimental investigation of classical Landau-Zener dynamics demonstrates that this coupling and tuning concept paves the way for a selective phonon transfer between two spatially separated mechanical resonators. [Preview Abstract] |
Thursday, March 16, 2017 3:54PM - 4:06PM |
V13.00008: Exploring the thermodynamic limit of optomechanical systems Stephen Ragole, Haitan Xu, John Lawall, Jacob Taylor Optomechanical systems have allowed exciting explorations combining precise engineering in the optical and mechanical domains. Recently, symmetric membrane-in-the-middle systems have been shown to have stable buckling configurations, where the membrane will spontaneously break the $\mathbb{Z}_2$ symmetry and buckle to a fixed position. We identify a parameter regime in which a natural thermodynamic limit arises for the optical spring. In this regime, we describe the phase diagram for the experimental system, a many-mode membrane with two optical modes. We discuss generalizations to other symmetries. [Preview Abstract] |
Thursday, March 16, 2017 4:06PM - 4:18PM |
V13.00009: Coupled Spin-Light dynamics in Cavity Optomagnonics Silvia Viola Kusminskiy, Hong Tang, Florian Marquardt Very recent experiments have shown coherent photon-magnon coupling in the optical regime for the first time. In these experiments, an insulating ferromagnet is used both as the host of the magnetic excitations and as the optical cavity. Due to the mismatch of frequencies the optomagnonic coupling is parametric, unlike the resonant coupling to microwaves also demonstrated recently. In this theoretical work we derive the microscopic optomagnonic Hamiltonian starting from the Faraday effect. In the linear regime the system reduces to the well-known optomechanical case, with remarkably large coupling. Going beyond that, we discuss different regimes of light-induced nonlinear classical spin dynamics for a homogeneous magnon mode. In the fast cavity regime we obtain an effective equation of motion for the macrospin, and show that the light field induces a dissipative term reminiscent of Gilbert damping. The induced dissipation coefficient however can change sign on the Bloch sphere, giving rise to self-sustained oscillations. When the full dynamics of the system is considered, the system can enter a chaotic regime by successive period doubling of the oscillations. We discuss the experimental feasibility of these regimes and provide a qualitative phase diagram of the nonlinear dynamics. [Preview Abstract] |
Thursday, March 16, 2017 4:18PM - 4:30PM |
V13.00010: Josephson inductance detector for nanomechanical motion Junho Suh, Jihwan Kim, Minjin Kim We study a Josephson inductance detector suitable for detecting nanomechanical motion near quantum limit. A gate-tunable critical current of a SNS junction is employed, and its Josephson inductance is modulated by nanomechanical motion via electrostatic coupling. A microwave resonant circuit is built with the Josephson inductance, arriving at an optomechanical system with strong microwave-nanomechanics coupling. We present an estimated measurement sensitivity and show our progress in device fabrication and measurements. [Preview Abstract] |
Thursday, March 16, 2017 4:30PM - 4:42PM |
V13.00011: Nanomechanical detection of the spin Hall effect Joseph Boales, Carl Boone, Pritiraj Mohanty The spin Hall effect creates a spin current in response to a charge current in a material that has strong spin-orbit coupling. The size of the spin Hall effect in many materials is disputed, requiring independent measurements of the effect. We develop a novel mechanical method to measure the size of the spin Hall effect, relying on the equivalence between spin and angular momentum. The spin current carries angular momentum, so the flow of angular momentum will result in a mechanical torque on the material. We determine the size and geometry of this torque and demonstrate that it can be measured using a nanomechanical device. Our results show that measurement of the spin Hall effect in this manner is possible and also opens possibilities for actuating nanomechanical systems with spin currents. [Preview Abstract] |
Thursday, March 16, 2017 4:42PM - 4:54PM |
V13.00012: Infrared Problem in a Hybrid System: Ultracold Atoms Coupled to a Vibrating Membrane Sanghita Sengupta, Dennis Clougherty We study the dynamics of a hybrid system consisting of ultracold atoms coupled to the mechanical oscillations of a suspended membrane at zero temperature. The system suffers from an infrared problem that is analogous with radiative processes in quantum electrodynamics where terms in the perturbation series diverge as a result of massless particles in the model (photons in QED and flexural phonons of the membrane in our case). We treat this infrared problem to obtain finite results by explicitly summing the most divergent diagrams. We derive a new formula for the adsorption rate of atoms on the membrane that is nonperturbative in the atom-membrane coupling. We compare and contrast this result with rates obtained by a variety of perturbative and nonperturbative methods, including the non-crossing approximation and the independent boson approximation. In particular, we apply these methods to the case of adsorption of atomic hydrogen on suspended graphene, providing numerical results. [Preview Abstract] |
Thursday, March 16, 2017 4:54PM - 5:06PM |
V13.00013: A realistic method for observing the dynamical Casimir effect in a mechanical oscillator system moving at non-relativistic speeds Johnathon Thompson, Jacob Pate, Raymond Chiao, Jay Sharping While the dynamical Casimir effect (DCE) has been shown in electronic circuits, it has yet to be realized in a system with a mechanical oscillator as the driving mechanism for the boundary conditions. Researchers assume that one must move a mirror at velocities near the speed of light in order to observe the DCE. We find that the threshold for oscillation implies that non-relativistic velocities of the membrane mirrors on the order of c/Q are sufficient in order to achieve the DCE. Using our scheme, one can thus construct a system where the large (microwave) frequency of motion combined with the high Q of the cavity leads to efficient microwave photon generation associated with the DCE. Here we propose a system for demonstrating the DCE using a macroscopic mechanical oscillator attached to a high Q microwave SRF cavity. [Preview Abstract] |
Thursday, March 16, 2017 5:06PM - 5:18PM |
V13.00014: An optomechanical approach to controlling the temperature and chemical potential for light Chiao-Hsuan Wang, Jacob Taylor Massless bosons, including photons, do not have strict particle conservation and thus have no chemical potential. However, in driven systems, near equilibrium dynamics can lead to equilibration of photons with a finite number, describable using an effective chemical potential. Here we build upon this general concept with an implementation appropriate for a nonlinear photonic or microwave quantum simulator. We consider how laser cooling of a mechanical mode can provide an effective low frequency bath for other photon modes. The parametric optomechanical interaction between the optical system and the low frequency bath is provided through a beam-splitter coupling between the optical system and another laser-driven mode. The use of multiple photon modes enables control of both the chemical potential, by drive frequency, and temperature, by drive amplitude, of the resulting photonic grand canonical ensemble. [Preview Abstract] |
Thursday, March 16, 2017 5:18PM - 5:30PM |
V13.00015: Abstract Withdrawn |
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