Experimental realization of a thermal squeezed state of levitated optomechanics

Rashid, Muddassar; Tufarelli, Tommaso; Bateman, James; Vovrosh, Jamie; Hempston, David; Kim, M. S.; Ulbricht, Hendrik

Abstract

We experimentally squeeze the thermal motional state of an optically levitated nanosphere by fast switching between two trapping frequencies. The measured phase-space distribution of the center of mass of our particle shows the typical shape of a squeezed thermal state, from which we infer up to 2.7 dB of squeezing along one motional direction. In these experiments the average thermal occupancy is high and, even after squeezing, the motional state remains in the remit of classical statistical mechanics. Nevertheless, we argue that the manipulation scheme described here could be used to achieve squeezing in the quantum regime if preceded by cooling of the levitated mechanical oscillator. Additionally, a higher degree of squeezing could, in principle, be achieved by repeating the frequency-switching protocol multiple times.

Citation

Rashid, M., Tufarelli, T., Bateman, J., Vovrosh, J., Hempston, D., Kim, M. S., & Ulbricht, H. (in press). Experimental realization of a thermal squeezed state of levitated optomechanics. Physical Review Letters, 117(27), Article 273601. https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.117.273601

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Nov 16, 2016
• Online Publication Date: Dec 30, 2016
• Deposit Date: Mar 7, 2017
• Publicly Available Date: Mar 7, 2017
• Journal: Physical Review Letters
• Print ISSN: 0031-9007
• Electronic ISSN: 1079-7114
• Publisher: American Physical Society
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 117
• Issue: 27
• Article Number: 273601
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.117.273601
• Public URL: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/831791
• Publisher URL: http://journals.aps.org/prl/abstract/10.1103/PhysRevLett.117.273601
• Contract Date: Mar 7, 2017