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arXiv:2602.03456 · Science

Stationary entanglement of a levitated oscillator with an optical field

Q. Deplano, A. Pontin, F. Marino, F. Marin

quant-phSubmitted Feb 3, 2026• Announced Feb 4, 2026• 0 citations
v1 · Feb 3, 2026v2 · Mar 19, 2026
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Abstract

We report the generation of quantum entanglement between the center-of-mass motion of a levitated nanosphere, coupled by coherent scattering to an optical cavity mode, and the electromagnetic field. Using heterodyne detection, we reconstruct the full set of optical-mechanical correlations and observe a violation of separability bounds between the mechanical degrees of freedom and the propagating optical mode. Thus, we demonstrate the ability to distribute nonclassical correlations beyond the interaction region. Our results are obtained at room temperature and are robust over a broad range of detunings set by the cavity linewidth. These findings establish levitated optomechanical systems as a promising platform for macroscopic quantum optics and for future tests of fundamental physics.

Journal reference
Science 394 (Issue 6819), 113 (2026)
DOI
10.1126/science.aeh1375

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We report the generation of quantum entanglement between the center-of-mass motion of a levitated nanosphere, coupled by coherent scattering to an optical cavity mode, and the electromagnetic field. Using heterodyne detection, we reconstruct the full set of optical-mechanical correlations and observe a violation of separability bounds between the mechanical degrees of freedom and the propagating optical mode. Thus, we demonstrate the ability to distribute nonclassical correlations beyond the interaction region. Our results are obtained at room temperature and are robust over a broad range of detunings set by the cavity linewidth. These findings establish levitated optomechanical systems as a promising platform for macroscopic quantum optics and for future tests of fundamental physics.
We demonstrate optical squeezing below the shot-noise level generated through the interaction of an optical cavity field with two center-of-mass modes of a levitated nanoparticle, simultaneously cooled to occupation numbers well below unity. By analyzing the quadrature fluctuations of the cavity output through heterodyne detection, we resolve the full spectral covariance matrix of the optical field and map regions of sub-shot-noise squeezing as a function of detection phase and frequency. Operating in the resolved sideband and strong coupling regime where mechanical modes hybridize with the optical mode, we observe consistent squeezing in the band 70-95 kHz with a lowest variance of 0.98 (2%\%% below vacuum fluctuations). We thus demonstrate optical squeezing mediated by multiple mechanical oscillators in their quantum ground state, bridging mechanical quantum control with non-classical light and establishing levitated optomechanics as a platform for multimode quantum interactions.
Quantum measurements of mechanical systems can generate optical squeezing via ponderomotive forces. Its observation requires high environmental isolation and efficient detection, typically achieved by using cryogenic cooling and optical cavities. Here, we realize these conditions by measuring the position of an optically levitated nanoparticle at room temperature and without the overhead of an optical cavity. We use a fast heterodyne detection to reconstruct simultaneously orthogonal optical quadratures, and observe a noise reduction of 9%±0.5% below shot noise. Our experiment offers a novel, cavityless platform for squeezed-light enhanced sensing. At the same time it delineates a clear and simple strategy toward observation of stationary optomechanical entanglement.
Abstract Coherent scattering of photons is a novel mechanism of optomechanical coupling for optically levitated nanoparticles promising strong, versatile interactions with light and between nanoparticles. We show that it allows efficient deterministic generation of Gaussian entanglement between two particles in separate tweezers. A combination of red- and blue-detuned tweezers brings a mechanical Bogoliubov mode to its ground state. An additional, dispersively coupled cavity mode can reduce noise in the orthogonal mode, resulting in strong entanglement as quantified by the logarithmic negativity and verifiable with the Duan criterion for realistic experimental parameters. Such an important resource for quantum sensing and quantum simulations is pivotal for current experiments and presents an important step towards optomechanics with multiple particles in the quantum regime.
We show how entanglement between two optically levitated nanoparticles can be generated and detected by coherent scattering of tweezer photons into a single cavity mode. Triggered by the detection of a Stokes photon, the tweezer detuning is switched from the blue to the red; entanglement is then verified by the conditioned anti-Stokes photon flux, which oscillates with the mechanical beat frequency. The proposed setup is realizable with near-future technology and opens the door to experimental observation of nonclassical center-of-mass correlations between two or more levitated nanoscale objects.
Abstract We explore entanglement generation between multiple optically levitated nanospheres interacting with a common optical cavity via the coherent scattering optomechanical interaction. We derive the many-particle Hamiltonian governing the unitary evolution of the system and show that it gives rise to quantum correlations among the various partitions of the setup, following a non-Markovian dynamics of entanglement birth, death and revivals. We also consider the effects of coupling the system to external environments and show that under reasonable experimental conditions entanglement between the mechanical modes can survive even at room temperature. Its dependence upon the number of nanoparticles, their initial temperature and coupling strength is studied. A numerical toolbox to simulate the closed and open dynamics of Gaussian optomechanical states and their informational measures is developed.
Abstract Mechanical systems facilitate the development of a hybrid quantum technology comprising electrical, optical, atomic and acoustic degrees of freedom1, and entanglement is essential to realize quantum-enabled devices. Continuous-variable entangled fields—known as Einstein–Podolsky–Rosen (EPR) states—are spatially separated two-mode squeezed states that can be used for quantum teleportation and quantum communication2. In the optical domain, EPR states are typically generated using nondegenerate optical amplifiers3, and at microwave frequencies Josephson circuits can serve as a nonlinear medium4–6. An outstanding goal is to deterministically generate and distribute entangled states with a mechanical oscillator, which requires a carefully arranged balance between excitation, cooling and dissipation in an ultralow noise environment. Here we observe stationary emission of path-entangled microwave radiation from a parametrically driven 30-micrometre-long silicon nanostring oscillator, squeezing the joint field operators of two thermal modes by 3.40 decibels below the vacuum level. The motion of this micromechanical system correlates up to 50 photons per second per hertz, giving rise to a quantum discord that is robust with respect to microwave noise7. Such generalized quantum correlations of separable states are important for quantum-enhanced detection8 and provide direct evidence of the non-classical nature of the mechanical oscillator without directly measuring its state9. This noninvasive measurement scheme allows to infer information about otherwise inaccessible objects, with potential implications for sensing, open-system dynamics and fundamental tests of quantum gravity. In the future, similar on-chip devices could be used to entangle subsystems on very different energy scales, such as microwave and optical photons.