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arXiv:2608.10890

Theoretical analysis towards accurate optomechanical detection of quantum gravity effects

Ying Li, Yan Li, Chengsong Zhao, Najmeh Eshaqi-Sani, Wenlin Li

quant-phSubmitted Aug 11, 2026• Announced Aug 12, 2026
arXivHTMLPDF

Abstract

Optomechanical systems offer a promising platform for observing dynamical signatures of quantum gravity through precision measurements of quantum harmonic oscillator dynamics. However, most existing analyses consider only the linear radiation-pressure interaction while neglecting higher-order optomechanical couplings and laser phase noise. These neglected contributions can be comparable in magnitude to the predicted quantum-gravity corrections and may therefore introduce spurious signals or mask the genuine physical effect. Here we reanalyze two experimentally realized platforms, a Fabry-Perot optomechanical system and a membrane-in-the-middle optomechanical system, by incorporating the complete nonlinear dynamics and realistic laser phase noise. Using measured device parameters, we derive revised protocols for generalized uncertainty principle tests and establish practical sensitivity bounds. Our results demonstrate that previous idealized estimates significantly overestimate the achievable resolution, underscoring the necessity of including higher-order interactions and implementing effective laser phase noise suppression in realistic assessments of optomechanical quantum gravity tests.

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Optomechanical systems offer a promising platform for observing dynamical signatures of quantum gravity through precision measurements of quantum harmonic oscillator dynamics. However, most existing analyses consider only the linear radiation-pressure interaction while neglecting higher-order optomechanical couplings and laser phase noise. These neglected contributions can be comparable in magnitude to the predicted quantum-gravity corrections and may therefore introduce spurious signals or mask the genuine physical effect. Here we reanalyze two experimentally realized platforms, a Fabry-Perot optomechanical system and a membrane-in-the-middle optomechanical system, by incorporating the complete nonlinear dynamics and realistic laser phase noise. Using measured device parameters, we derive revised protocols for generalized uncertainty principle tests and establish practical sensitivity bounds. Our results demonstrate that previous idealized estimates significantly overestimate the achievable resolution, underscoring the necessity of including higher-order interactions and implementing effective laser phase noise suppression in realistic assessments of optomechanical quantum gravity tests.
We study the fundamental sensitivity that can be achieved with an ideal optomechanical system in the nonlinear regime for measurements of time-dependent gravitational fields. The optomechanical system consists of a cavity mode and a mechanical oscillator coupled to it via (non-linear) radiation pressure coupling. Using recently developed methods to solve the dynamics of a nonlinear optomechanical system with a time-dependent Hamiltonian, we compute the quantum Fisher information for linear displacements of the mechanical element due to gravity. We demonstrate that the sensitivity can be further enhanced by injecting squeezed states of the cavity field or by modulating the light–matter coupling of the optomechanical system. We specifically apply our results to the measurement of gravitational fields from small oscillating masses, where we show that, in principle, the gravitational field of an oscillating nanogram mass can be detected based on experimental parameters that will likely be accessible in the near-term future. Finally, we identify the experimental parameter regime necessary for gravitational wave detection with a quantum optomechanical sensor.
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Cavity optomechanics has become an established and equally promising branch in quantum optics. Thanks to the interaction between matter and electromagnetic radiation, it has proved to be an optimal platform for a range of scopes, from weak force sensing to the study of non-classicality of mechanical motion. Besides, the capability to isolate genuine quantum features of the interaction represents a test ground to address many important questions regarding decoherence, quantum-to-classical transitions and the interface between quantum mechanics and gravity. The first part of the research embedded in this thesis is addressed towards the clear identification and characterisation of quantum features in optomechanics. The main model we will refer to is a deformable Fabry-P\'erot cavity where one of the two mirrors moves under the radiation pressure of light. After having properly assessed the quantum peculiarities of the system, and also having revised some intakes from past literature, we will focus on the study of mechanical non-linearities, as they have been proved to be a key resource to bring out and enhance quantum properties. These investigations provide the basis to eventually propose a method to deterministically prepare and measure macroscopic quantum superposition states of the movable mirror. Such massive quantum states play a key role to inspect the foundations of physics, e.g. to test the collapse of the wave function and phenomenological models of quantum gravity, as well as to develop new enhanced quantum technologies.
We study the fundamental sensitivity that can be achieved with an ideal optomechanical system in the nonlinear regime for measurements of time-dependent gravitational fields. Using recently developed methods to solve the dynamics of a nonlinear optomechanical system with a time-dependent Hamiltonian, we compute the quantum Fisher information for linear displacements of the mechanical element due to gravity. We demonstrate that the sensitivity can not only be further enhanced by injecting squeezed states of the cavity field, but also by modulating the light--matter coupling of the optomechanical system. We specifically apply our results to the measurement of gravitational fields from small oscillating masses, where we show that, in principle, the gravitational field of an oscillating nano-gram mass can be detected based on experimental parameters that will likely be accessible in the near-term future. Finally, we identify the experimental parameter regime necessary for gravitational wave detection with a quantum optomechanical sensor.
We present an ongoing optomechanical experiment aimed at detecting gravitational interaction between milligram-scale oscillators, and exploring its interplay with quantum mechanics. The setup employs two microfabricated oscillators coupled via gravity and read out through a high-finesse optical cavity, at ultra-cryogenic temperature. Finite element simulations, noise modelling, and sensitivity estimates demonstrate that gravitational coupling can be detected with integration times ranging from minutes to hours. The experiment establishes a realistic platform for probing gravitational effects in systems approaching the quantum regime.
We present a table-top quantum estimation protocol to measure the gravitational acceleration ggg by using an optomechanical cavity. In particular, we exploit the nonlinear quantum light-matter interaction between an optical field and a massive mirror acting as mechanical oscillator. The gravitational field influences the system dynamics affecting the phase of the cavity field during the interaction. Reading out such a phase carried by the radiation leaking from the cavity, we provide an estimate of the gravitational acceleration through interference measurements. Contrary to previous studies, having adopted a fully quantum description, we are able to propose a quantum analysis proving the ultimate bound to the estimability of the gravitational acceleration and verifying optimality of homodyne detection. Noticeably, thanks to the light-matter decoupling at the measurement time, no initial cooling of the mechanical oscillator is demanded in principle.