Quantum state tomography of a mechanical oscillator

Caspar F. Ockeloen-Korppi, Erno Damskägg, J.-M. Pirkkalainen +3 more

The standard quantum limit constrains the precision of an oscillator position measurement. It arises from a balance between the imprecision and the quantum backaction of the measurement. However, a measurement of only a single quadrature of the oscillator can evade the backaction and be made with arbitrary precision. Here we demonstrate quantum backaction evading measurements of a collective quadrature of two mechanical oscillators, both coupled to a common microwave cavity. The work allows for quantum state tomography of two mechanical oscillators, and provides a foundation for macroscopic mechanical entanglement and force sensing beyond conventional quantum limits.

Rishi N. Patel, Timothy P. McKenna, Zhaoyou Wang +7 more

Michael Ross Vanner, Igor Pikovski, Garrett D. Cole +5 more

Studying mechanical resonators via radiation pressure offers a rich avenue for the exploration of quantum mechanical behavior in a macroscopic regime. However, quantum state preparation and especially quantum state reconstruction of mechanical oscillators remains a significant challenge. Here we propose a scheme to realize quantum state tomography, squeezing, and state purification of a mechanical resonator using short optical pulses. The scheme presented allows observation of mechanical quantum features despite preparation from a thermal state and is shown to be experimentally feasible using optical microcavities. Our framework thus provides a promising means to explore the quantum nature of massive mechanical oscillators and can be applied to other systems such as trapped ions.

Muhammad Hamza Waseem, Faizan-e-Ilahi, Muhammad Sabieh Anwar

Mueller-Ebhardt, Helge, Haixing Miao, S. L. Danilishin +1 more

We show that optomechanical systems in the quantum regime can be used to demonstrate EPR-type quantum entanglement between the optical field and the mechanical oscillator, via quantum-state steering. Namely, the conditional quantum state of the mechanical oscillator can be steered into different quantum states depending the choice made on which quadrature of the out-going field is to be measured via homodyne detection. More specifically, if quantum radiation pressure force dominates over thermal force, the oscillator's quantum state is steerable with a photodetection efficiency as low as 50%, approaching the ideal limit shown by Wiseman and Gambetta [Phys. Rev. Lett. {\bf 108}, 220402 (2012)]. We also show that requirement for steerability is the same as those for achieving sub-Heisenberg state tomography using the same experimental setup.

E. Alex Wollack, Agnetta Y. Cleland, Rachel G. Gruenke +3 more