Comptes Rendus Physique
Towards the experimental demonstration of quantum radiation pressure noise
P. Verlot, Alexandros Tavernarakis, C. Molinelli, Aurélien G. Kuhn, Thomas Antoni, S. Gras, Tristan Briant, P.-F. Cohadon, A. Heidmann, Laurent Pinard, C. Michel, Raffaele Flaminio, M. Bahriz, O. Le Traon, Izo I. Abram, A. Beveratos, Rémy Braive, Isabelle Sagnes, Isabelle Robert-Philip
Abstract
Quantum radiation pressure noise has never been experimentally demonstrated, though it has been predicted for more than thirty years. It is, however, expected to limit the low-frequency sensitivity of second generation gravitational-wave interferometers. We have demonstrated classical radiation-pressure-induced correlations between two optical beams sent into the same high-finesse cavity with a moving mirror. Our two-beam scheme can be used to retrieve quantum noise embedded in an overwhelming classical noise, and has applications both in high-sensitivity measurements and in quantum optics.