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Optics Express

Weak optomechanical coupling sensing based on self-Kerr nonlinearity

Wei Niu, siyu Guan, Tie Wang, Shou Zhang, Hong‐Fu Wang

Published Jun 2, 2026• 1 citation
Publisher

Abstract

The precise measurement of weak optomechanical coupling is fundamentally limited by the inevitable thermal noise and the stringent parameter control. To overcome these limitations, we propose what we feel is a novel sensing scheme based on self-Kerr nonlinearity. Remarkably, the self-Kerr nonlinearity induced by the Born-Oppenheimer (BO) adiabatic separation between the optical and mechanical modes enables a sensitivity scaling law proportional to g −7/3 , which is the source of extraordinary sensitivity to weak optomechanical coupling. By developing an effective indirectly coupled dual-cavity model featuring self-Kerr nonlinearity and applying Gaussian quantum information theory, we demonstrate that a weak optomechanical coupling can be detected with both an excellent signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and high precision. Specifically, our scheme improves the SNR and precision by several orders of magnitude, surpassing the capabilities of conventional nonlinear response methods. This work elucidates a fundamental mechanism based on self-Kerr nonlinearity for achieving ultra-high sensitivity in non-Hermitian sensors, thereby paving the way for the development of high-performance sensors in anharmonic systems and advancing the field of ultrasensitive quantum metrology.

DOI
10.1364/oe.603730

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The precise measurement of weak optomechanical coupling is fundamentally limited by the inevitable thermal noise and the stringent parameter control. To overcome these limitations, we propose what we feel is a novel sensing scheme based on self-Kerr nonlinearity. Remarkably, the self-Kerr nonlinearity induced by the Born-Oppenheimer (BO) adiabatic separation between the optical and mechanical modes enables a sensitivity scaling law proportional to g −7/3 , which is the source of extraordinary sensitivity to weak optomechanical coupling. By developing an effective indirectly coupled dual-cavity model featuring self-Kerr nonlinearity and applying Gaussian quantum information theory, we demonstrate that a weak optomechanical coupling can be detected with both an excellent signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and high precision. Specifically, our scheme improves the SNR and precision by several orders of magnitude, surpassing the capabilities of conventional nonlinear response methods. This work elucidates a fundamental mechanism based on self-Kerr nonlinearity for achieving ultra-high sensitivity in non-Hermitian sensors, thereby paving the way for the development of high-performance sensors in anharmonic systems and advancing the field of ultrasensitive quantum metrology.
Cavity optomechanical (COM) sensors, enhanced by quantum squeezing or entanglement, have become powerful tools for measuring ultra-weak forces with high precision and sensitivity. However, these sensors usually rely on linear COM couplings, a fundamental limitation when measurements of the mechanical energy are desired. Very recently, a giant enhancement of the signal-to-noise ratio was predicted in a quadratic COM system. Here we show that the performance of such a system can be further improved surpassing the standard quantum limit by using quantum squeezed light. Our approach is compatible with available engineering techniques of advanced COM sensors and provides new opportunities for using COM sensors in tests of fundamental laws of physics and quantum metrology applications.
The study of force sensitivity based on a cavity optomechanical system plays a prominent role in quantum precision measurement and provides an ideal platform for precision sensing technology. Here, we propose a scheme to enhance the force sensitivity of a dissipatively coupled optomechanical system by inducing Duffing nonlinearity. The numerical analysis shows that inducing Duffing nonlinearity significantly improves the force sensitivity compared to the system without Duffing nonlinearity, even surpassing the standard quantum limit (SQL) by more than five orders of magnitude. Moreover, we demonstrated that the sensitivity of force sensing is robust to temperature when Duffing nonlinearity is induced. More interestingly, the induction of Duffing nonlinearity broadens the detection bandwidth. At the same time, the detection frequency below the SQL also experiences a significant frequency shift with changes in the nonlinear amplitude. Our scheme not only holds potential for applications in quantum manipulation but also realizes macroscopic quantum effects.
Several optomechanics experiments are now entering the highly sought nonlinear regime where optomechanical interactions are large even for low light levels. Within this regime, new quantum phenomena and improved performance may be achieved; however, a corresponding theoretical formalism of cavity quantum optomechanics that captures the nonlinearities of both the radiation-pressure interaction and the cavity response is needed to unlock these capabilities. Here, we develop such a nonlinear cavity quantum optomechanical framework, which we then utilize to propose how position measurement can be performed beyond the breakdown of the linearized approximation. Our proposal utilizes optical general-dyne detection, ranging from single to dual homodyne, to obtain mechanical position information imprinted onto both the optical amplitude and phase quadratures and enables both pulsed and continuous modes of operation. These cavity optomechanical nonlinearities are now being confronted in a growing number of experiments, and our framework will allow a range of advances to be made in, e.g., quantum metrology, explorations of the standard quantum limit, and quantum measurement and control.
Coupling mechanical motion to an optical resonator enables displacement measurements approaching the standard quantum limit (SQL). However, increasing the optomechanical coupling strength will inevitably lead to probing of the nonlinear response of the optical resonator. Thermal intermodulation noise (TIN) arising from the nonlinear mixing of thermomechanical motion can further increase the imprecision well above the SQL and has hitherto been canceled up to second order of nonlinearity via operation at the "magic detuning". In this work, we record the output of a membrane-in-the-middle microcavity system operating at room temperature and achieving high cooperativity, C>nthC>n_\text{th}C>nth​, and apply a nonlinear transform that removes all orders of TIN, improving the mechanical signal-to-noise ratio by nearly 10 dB. Our results can be applied to experiments affected by third-order TIN, which we expect to be the dominating intrinsic source of noise in high-cooperativity room-temperature cavity optomechanical systems.
The detection of weak forces plays a crucial role in various fields, from gravitational wave astronomy to biological sensing. A fundamental limitation in such measurements arises from quantum and thermal noise. Here, we present a theoretical scheme for force sensing that incorporates an optical parametric amplifier (OPA) in conjunction with a gain-assisted auxiliary cavity. We show that, in contrast to conventional lossy configurations, the presence of optical gain in the auxiliary cavity enables a substantial enhancement in sensitivity, allowing the system to exceed the standard quantum limit across a broad detection bandwidth. By carefully tuning the gain parameter, cavity-cavity coupling strength, OPA driving phase, and detuning conditions, the system achieves optimal noise suppression. Remarkably, this performance persists even under a twentyfold increase in environmental temperature, underscoring the robustness of the proposed scheme. Detailed noise analysis reveals that the contribution of the gain-assisted auxiliary cavity appears to be a negative value in the noise spectrum, effectively reducing the overall noise level of the system. This study is of significant importance to the design and fabrication of high-performance optomechanical sensors.
We study the use of the self-Kerr and cross-Kerr nonlinearities to realize strong photon blockade in a weakly driven, four-mode optomechanical system. According to the Born—Oppenheimer approximation, we obtain the cavity self-Kerr coupling and the inter-cavity cross-Kerr coupling, adiabatically separated from the mechanical oscillator. Through minimizing the second-order correlation function, we find out the optimal parameter conditions for the unconventional photon blockade. Under the optimal conditions, the strong photon blockade can appear in the strong or weak nonlinearities.