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arXiv:1611.07001 · New Journal of Physics

Shelving-style QND phonon-number detection in quantum optomechanics

Yariv Yanay, Aashish A. Clerk

Published Feb 22, 2017• 11 citations
arXivHTMLPDF

Abstract

We propose a new method for optomechanical quantum non-demolition detection of phonon number, based on a 'shelving' style measurement. The scheme uses a two-mode optomechanical system where the frequency splitting of the two photonic modes 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. This approach allows phonon number measurement to be accomplished parametrically faster than in other schemes which are restricted to weak driving.

DOI
10.1088/1367-2630/aa6206

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Shelving-style phonon-number detection in quantum optomechanics

Yariv Yanay, Aashish A. Clerk

Bulletin of the American Physical Society•Mar 16, 2017•0 citations
We propose a new method for optomechanical quantum non-demolition detection of phonon number, based on a 'shelving' style measurement. The scheme uses a two-mode optomechanical system where the frequency splitting of the two photonic modes 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. This approach allows phonon number measurement to be accomplished parametrically faster than in other schemes which are restricted to weak driving.
In the field of cavity optomechanics, proposals for quantum nondemolition (QND) measurements of phonon number provide a promising avenue by which one can study the quantum nature of nanoscale mechanical resonators. Here we investigate these QND measurements for an optomechanical system whereby quadratic coupling arises due to shared symmetries between a single optical resonance and a mechanical mode. We establish a relaxed limit on the amount of linear coupling that can exist in this type of system while still allowing for QND measurements of mechanical Fock states. The ability to perform optomechanical QND measurements of this nature would allow one to probe the decoherence of these mesoscopic states, providing an experimental test bed for quantum collapse theories.
Recognized as a potential resource for quantum technologies and a possible test bed for fundamental physics, the control and preparation of nonclassical states of mechanical oscillators have been explored extensively. Within optomechanics, quantum state synthesis can be realized by entangling photonic and phononic degrees of freedom followed by optical detection. Single-photon detection enables one of the most powerful forms of such heralded quantum state preparation, permitting the creation of single-phonon states when applied to conventional cavity optomechanical systems. As the complexity of optomechanical systems increases, single-photon detection may provide heralded access to a larger class of exotic quantum states. Here, we examine the quantum dynamics of optomechanical systems that permit forward Brillouin scattering, where a single-phonon mode mediates transitions between a collection of equally spaced optical resonances. Solving both the Schrodinger equation and the Lindblad master equation for this system, we find that initial states comprised of single photons or weak laser pulses evolve into complex quantum states where the frequency of single-photon states and the phonon occupation number are entangled. Physically, these interactions permit a single photon to scatter to lower frequencies, where phonon excitation occurs for each scattering event. Combining this result with frequency filtering, we show how single-photon detection can herald selected multiphonon Fock states, even in the presence of optical losses. We also present an approach for quantum tomography of the heralded phonon states, which in the form of a state swap from the phononic to photonic domain enables on-demand generation of multiphoton Fock states.
We propose a scheme to realize the two-phonon blockade effect in a quadratically coupled optomechanical system. We consider the case that the optical cavity is simultaneously driven by a strong pumping field and a weak driving field. By strongly driving the optical cavity, the nonlinear interaction between the optical mode and the mechanical resonator can be significantly enhanced and an effective second-order nonlinearity between photons and phonons is induced. Based on this effectively strong nonlinearity, the two-phonon blockade effect can be achieved when a weak driving field is applied into the optical cavity. By contrast, we study the case of weakly driving the mechanical resonator. In this case, the single-phonon blockade is generated, while the two-phonon blockade cannot be observed. By numerically calculating the second-order and third-order correlation function, we investigate the statistical characteristics of phonons. In addition, we also study the influence of the thermal noise on the achieved two-phonon blockade effect. Our work provides an alternative approach for implementing multiphonon blockade and has potential applications in quantum information processing.
We propose a scheme to significantly enhance the cross-Kerr (CK) nonlinearity between photons and phonons in a quadratically coupled optomechanical system (OMS) with two-photon driving. This CK nonlinear enhancement originates from the parametric-driving-induced squeezing and the underlying nonlinear optomechanical interaction. Moreover, the noise of the squeezed mode can be suppressed completely by introducing a squeezed vacuum reservoir. As a result of this dramatic nonlinear enhancement and the suppressed noise, we demonstrate the feasibility of the quantum nondemolition measurement of the phonon number in an originally weak coupled OMS. In addition, the photon-phonon blockade phenomenon is also investigated in this regime, which allows for performing manipulations between photons and phonons. This Letter offers a promising route towards the potential application for the OMS in quantum information processing and quantum networks.
We describe an optomechanical system in which the mean phonon number of a single mechanical mode conditionally displaces the amplitude of the optical field. Using homodyne detection of the output field, we establish the conditions under which phonon number quantum jumps can be inferred from the measurement record: both the cavity damping rate and the measurement rate of the phonon number must be much greater than the thermalization rate of the mechanical mode. We present simulations of the conditional dynamics of the measured system using the stochastic master equation. In the good-measurement limit, the conditional evolution of the mean phonon number shows quantum jumps as phonons enter and exit the mechanical resonator via the bath.