We propose the use of ponderomotive forces to entangle the motions of different atoms. Two situations are analyzed: one where the atoms belong to the same optical cavity and interact with the same radiation field mode; the other where each atom is placed in own optical cavity and the output field of one cavity enters the other.
The radiation pressure of two laser beams detuned from resonance in an optical cavity can create a stable optical trap for a mechanical oscillation mode of a movable cavity mirror. Here it is shown that such a configuration entangles the output light fields via interaction with a mirror that is suspended as a pendulum. The degree of entanglement is quantified spectrally using the logarithmic negativity, and related to the available optical restoring force. Entanglement survives in the experimentally accessible regime of gram-scale masses subject to thermal noise at room temperature.
We show the possibility to entangle radiation modes through a simple reflection on a moving mirror. The model of an optical cavity having a movable end mirror, and supporting different modes is employed. The mechanical motion of the mirror mediates information between the modes leading to an effective mode-mode interaction. We characterize the modes' entanglement on the basis of recent separability criteria. The effect of the thermal noise associate to the mirror's motion is accounted for. Then, we evaluate the performances of such ponderomotive entanglement in possible applications like teleportation and telecloning.