Quantum Squeezing of Micromechanical Motion
Warwick P. Bowen
A pair of conjugate observables, such as the quadrature amplitudes of harmonic motion, have fundamental fluctuations that are bound by the Heisenberg uncertainty relation.However, in a squeezed quantum state, fluctuations of a quantity can be reduced below the standard quantum limit, at the cost of increased fluctuations of the conjugate variable.Here we prepare a nearly macroscopic moving body, realized as a micromechanical resonator, in a squeezed quantum state.We obtain squeezing of one quadrature amplitude 1.1 Æ 0.4 dB below the standard quantum limit, thus achieving a long-standing goal of obtaining motional squeezing in a macroscopic object.
Physics•Dec 7, 2015•1 citation