Here we analyze ways to achieve deep subthreshold parametric squeezing or cooling of a single degree-of-freedom parametric resonator enhanced by a lock-in amplifier feedback loop. Due to the feedback, the dynamics of the parametric resonator becomes more complex and a Hopf bifurcation at the instability threshold can occur. Initially, we calculate the phase-dependent gain of parametric amplification with feedback of an added ac signal. In one approach, we obtain the amplification gain approximately using two independent approaches: the averaging method and the harmonic balance method. We also obtain this gain more exactly using Floquet theory and Green's functions methods. The Hopf bifurcation was predicted by the harmonic balance method and by Floquet theory, but not by the averaging method. In our analysis of fluctuations, we Fourier analyze the response of the parametric resonator with feedback to an added white noise. We were able to calculate, in addition to the noise spectral density, the squeezing of fluctuations in this resonator with feedback. Very strong squeezing or cooling can occur. Deamplification and cooling occur near the Hopf bifurcation, whereas squeezing occurs near a saddle-node bifurcation.
We present the generation of continuous-wave optical squeezing from a titanium-indiffused lithium niobate waveguide resonator. We directly measure 2.9\pm 0.1 dB of single-mode squeezing, which equates to a produced level of 4.9\pm 0.1 dB after accounting for detection losses. This device showcases the current capabilities of this waveguide architecture and precipitates more complicated integrated continuous-wave quantum devices in the continuous-variable regime.
We propose an efficient method for controlled generation of field squeezing with cold atomic clouds trapped close to a superconducting transmission line resonator. It is shown that, based on the coherent strong magnetic coupling between the collective atomic spins and microwave fields in the transmission line resonator, two-mode or single mode field squeezed states can be generated through coherent control on the dynamics of the system. The degree of squeezing and preparing time can be directly controlled through tuning the external classical fields. This protocol may offer a promising platfor…
Principally, there are two forms of coupling energy when particle(photon) is moving around the micro-ring resonator, which is generated by the construction (creation) and the destruction (annihilation) energies that can disturb the centre nonlinear microring resonator and lead the system unstable from the harmonic motion, from which the squeezing state of the particle can occur. The detected outputs either electrons and their spins or photons can be useful for the new era of electronic devices and circuits, where the classical electronics, plasmonic electronics, spintronic electronics and quan…
We demonstrate continuous tuning of the squeezing level generated in a double-ring optical parametric oscillator by externally controlling the coupling condition using electrically controlled integrated microheaters. We accomplish this by utilizing the avoided crossing exhibited by a pair of coupled silicon nitride microring resonators. We directly detect a change in the squeezing level from 0.5 dB in the undercoupled regime to 2 dB in the overcoupled regime, which corresponds to a change in the generated on-chip squeezing factor from 0.9 dB to 3.9 dB. Such wide tunability in the squeezing lev…
The radiation pressure coupling between a low-mass moving mirror and an incident light field has been experimentally studied in a high-finesse Fabry-Perot cavity. Using classical intensity noise in order to mimic radiation pressure quantum fluctuations, the physics of ponderomotive squeezing comes into play as a result of the opto-mechanical correlations between the field quadratures. The same scheme can be used to probe ponderomotive squeezing at the quantum level, thus opening new routes in quantum optics and high sensitivity measurement experiments.
While a propagating state of light can be generated with arbitrary squeezing by pumping a parametric resonator, the intra-resonator state is limited to 3 dB of squeezing. Here, we implement a reservoir engineering method to surpass this limit using superconducting circuits. Two-tone pumping of a three-wave-mixing element implements an effective coupling to a squeezed bath which stabilizes a squeezed state inside the resonator. Using an ancillary superconducting qubit as a probe allows us to perform a direct Wigner tomography of the intra-resonator state. The raw measurement provides a lower bo…
We study a system of two nanomechanical resonators embedded in a dc SQUID. We show that the inductively-coupled resonators can be treated as two entangled quantum memory elements with states that can be read from, or written on by employing the SQUID as a displacement detector or switching additional external magnetic fields, respectively. We present a scheme to squeeze the even modeof the state of the resonators and consequently reduce the noise in the measurement of the magnetic flux threading the SQUID. Wefinally analyze the effect of dissipation on the squeezing using the quantum master eq…
We propose to increase the fidelity of two-qubit resonator-induced phase gates in circuit QED by the use of narrowband single-mode squeezed drive. We show that there exists an optimal squeezing angle and strength that erases qubit 'which-path' information leaking out of the cavity and thereby minimizes qubit dephasing during these gates. Our analytical results for the gate fidelity are in excellent agreement with numerical simulations of a cascaded master equation that takes into account the dynamics of the source of squeezed radiation. With realistic parameters, we find that it is possible to…
A pair of conjugate observables, such as the quadrature amplitudes of harmonic motion, have fundamental fluctuations which 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 $1.1 \pm 0.4$ dB below the standard quantum limit, thus achieving a long-standin…
We present the measurement of squeezed light generation using an engineered optomechanical system fabricated from a silicon microchip and composed of a micromechanical resonator coupled to a nanophotonic cavity. Laser light is used to measure the fluctuations in the position of the mechanical resonator at a measurement rate comparable to the free dynamics of the mechanical resonator, and greater than its thermal decoherence rate. By approaching the strong continuous measurement regime we observe, through homodyne detection, non-trivial modifications of the reflected light's vacuum fluctuation …
We analyze the amplitude and phase noise of limit-cycle oscillations in a mechanical resonator coupled parametrically to an optical cavity driven above its resonant frequency. At a given temperature the limit-cycle oscillations have lower amplitude noise than states of the same average amplitude excited by a pure harmonic drive; for sufficiently low thermal noise a sub-Poissonian resonator state can be produced. We also calculate the linewidth narrowing that occurs in the limit-cycle states, and show that while the minimum is set by direct phase diffusion, diffusion due to the optical spring e…
We realize a nondegenerate parametric amplifier in an ultrahigh $Q$ mechanical membrane resonator and demonstrate two-mode thermomechanical noise squeezing. Our measurements are accurately described by a two-mode model that attributes this nonlinear mechanical interaction to a substrate-mediated process which is dramatically enhanced by the quality factors of the individual modes. This realization of strong multimode nonlinearities in a mechanical platform compatible with quantum-limited optical detection and cooling makes this a powerful system for nonlinear approaches to quantum metrology, t…
We show that the nanoresonator position can be squeezed significantly below the ground state level by measuring the nanoresonator with a quantum point contact or a single-electron transistor and applying a periodic voltage across the detector. The mechanism of squeezing is basically a generalization of quantum nondemolition measurement of an oscillator to the case of continuous measurement by a weakly coupled detector. The quantum feedback is necessary to prevent the ``heating'' due to measurement back-action. We also discuss a procedure of experimental verification of the squeezed state.
We study cooling and squeezing the fluctuations of a nanomechanical beam using quantum feedback control. In our model, the nanomechanical beam is coupled to a transmission line resonator via a superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID). The leakage of the electromagnetic field from the transmission line resonator is measured using homodyne detection. This measured signal is then used to design a quantum-feedback-control signal to drive the electromagnetic field in the transmission line resonator. Although the control is imposed on the transmission line resonator, this quantum-feedback…
We analyze squeezing of the nanoresonator state produced by periodic measurement of position by a quantum point contact or a single-electron transistor. The mechanism of squeezing is the stroboscopic quantum nondemolition measurement generalized to the case of continuous measurement by a weakly coupled detector. The magnitude of squeezing is calculated for the harmonic and stroboscopic modulations of measurement, taking into account detector efficiency and nanoresonator quality factor. We also analyze the operation of the quantum feedback, which prevents fluctuations of the wavepacket center d…
Dissipation is generally thought to affect the quantum nature of the system in an adverse manner, however we show that dissipatively coupled nano systems can be prepared in states which beat the standard quantum limit of the mechanical motion. We show that the reactive coupling between the waveguide and the microdisk resonator can generate the squeezing of the waveguide by injecting a quantum field and laser into the resonator through the waveguide. The waveguide can show about 70--75% of maximal squeezing for temperature about 1--10 mK. The maximum squeezing can be achieved with incident pump…
Dissipation-driven quantum state engineering uses the environment to steer the state of quantum systems and preserve quantum coherence in the steady state. We show that modulating the damping rate of a microwave resonator generates a vacuum squeezed state of arbitrary squeezing strength, thereby constituting a mechanism allowing perfect squeezing. Given the recent experimental realizations in circuit QED of a microwave resonator with a tunable damping rate [Yin et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 110, 107001 (2013)], superconducting circuits are an ideal playground to implement this technique. By dispers…
We investigate steady-state thermal transport and photon statistics in a nonequilibrium hybrid quantum system, in which a qubit is longitudinally and quadratically coupled to an optical resonator. Our calculations are conducted with the method of the quantum dressed master equation combined with full counting statistics. The effect of negative differential thermal conductance is unravelled at finite temperature bias, which stems from the suppression of cyclic heat transitions and large mismatch of two squeezed photon modes at weak and strong qubit-resonator hybridizations, respectively. The gi…
We demonstrate squeezing of a strongly interacting opto-electromechanical system using a parametric drive. By employing real-time feedback on the phase of the pump at twice the resonance frequency the thermo-mechanical noise is squeezed beyond the 3 dB instability limit. Surprisingly, this method can also be used to generate highly nonlinear states. We show that using the parametric drive with feedback on, classical number-like and cat-like states can be prepared. This presents a valuable electro-optomechanical state-preparation protocol that is extendable to the quantum regime.
Time-dependent linear coupling between macroscopic quantum resonator modes generates both a parametric amplification also known as a {}"squeezing operation" and a beam splitter operation, analogous to quantum optical systems. These operations, when applied properly, can robustly generate entanglement and squeezing for the quantum resonator modes. Here, we present such coupling schemes between a nanomechanical resonator and a superconducting electrical resonator using applied microwave voltages as well as between two superconducting lumped-element electrical resonators using a r.f. SQUID-mediat…
We propose an all-optical approach to achieve optical nonreciprocity on a chip by quantum squeezing one of two coupled resonator modes. By parametric pumping a nonlinear resonator unidirectionally with a classical coherent field, we squeeze the resonator mode in a selective direction due to the phase-matching condition, and induce a chiral photon interaction between two resonators. Based on this chiral interresonator coupling, we achieve an all-optical diode and a three-port quasi-circulator. By applying a second squeezed-vacuum field to the squeezed resonator mode, our nonreciprocal device al…
Quantum control strategies that provide shortcuts to adiabaticity are increasingly considered in various contexts including atomic cooling. Recent studies have emphasized practical issues in order to reduce the gap between the idealized models and actual ongoing implementations. We rephrase here the cooling features in terms of a peculiar squeezing effect, and use it to parametrize the robustness of frictionless cooling techniques with respect to noise-induced deviations from the ideal time-dependent trajectory for the trapping frequency. We finally discuss qualitative issues for the experimen…
We explore the physics of optomechanical systems in which an optical cavity mode is coupled parametrically to the square of the position of a mechanical oscillator. We derive an effective master equation describing two-phonon cooling of the mechanical oscillator. We show that for high temperatures and weak coupling, the steady-state phonon number distribution is non-thermal (Gaussian) and that even for strong cooling the mean phonon number remains finite. Moreover, we demonstrate how to achieve mechanical squeezing by driving the cavity with two beams. Finally, we calculate the optical output …
Enhancing ground-state cooling of center-of-mass motions via quantum squeezing from magnon nonlinearity
Hangzhou Dianzi University（杭州电子科技大学）；Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Quantum State Control and Optical Field Manipulation, Hangzhou Dianzi University（杭州量子态控制与光场调控浙江省重点实验室）
We study the quantum measurement of a cantilever using a parametrically-coupled electromagnetic cavity which is driven at the two sidebands corresponding to the mechanical motion. This scheme, originally due to Braginsky et al. [V. Braginsky, Y. I. Vorontsov, and K. P. Thorne, Science 209, 547 (1980)], allows a back-action free measurement of one quadrature of the cantilever's motion, and hence the possibility of generating a squeezed state. We present a complete quantum theory of this system, and derive simple conditions on when the quantum limit on the added noise can be surpassed. We also s…
Quantum squeezing of mechanical resonator is important for studying the macroscopic quantum effects and the precision metrology of weak forces. Here we give a theoretical study of a hybrid atom-optomechanical system in which the steady-state squeezing of the mechanical resonator can be generated via the mechanical nonlinearity and cavity cooling process. The validity of the scheme is assessed by simulating the steady-state variance of the mechanical displacement quadrature numerically. The scheme is robust against dissipation of the optical cavity, and the steady-state squeezing can be effecti…
We determine the theoretical limits to squeezing-enhanced measurement sensitivity of mechanical motion in a cavity optomechanical system. The motion of a mechanical resonator is transduced onto quadrature fluctuations of a cavity optical field and a measurement is performed on the optical field exiting the cavity. We compare measurement sensitivities obtained with coherent probing and quantum-enhanced probing of the mechanical motion, i.e. the coherent probe field carries vacuum states and quadrature squeezed vacuum states at sideband frequencies, respectively. We find that quantum-enhanced pr…
We propose a scheme for the generation of a robust stationary squeezed state of a mechanical resonator in a quadratically coupled optomechanical system, driven by a pulsed laser. The intracavity photon number presents periodic intense peaks suddenly stiffening the effective harmonic potential felt by the mechanical resonator. These "optical spring kicks" tend to squeeze the resonator position, and due to the interplay with fluctuation-dissipation processes one can generate a stationary state with more than 13 dB of squeezing even starting from moderately "pre-cooled" initial thermal states.
The present state-of-the-art in cooling mechanical resonators is a version of "sideband" cooling. Here we present a method that uses the same configuration as sideband cooling --- coupling the resonator to be cooled to a second microwave (or optical) auxiliary resonator --- but will cool significantly colder. This is achieved by varying the strength of the coupling between the two resonators over a time on the order of the period of the mechanical resonator. As part of our analysis, we also obtain a method for fast, high-fidelity quantum information-transfer between resonators.
As a result of the quantum, wave-like nature of the physical world, a harmonic oscillator can never be completely at rest. Even in the quantum ground state, its position will always have fluctuations, called the zero-point motion. Although the zero-point fluctuations are unavoidable, they can be manipulated. In this work, using microwave frequency radiation pressure, we both prepare a micron-scale mechanical system in a state near the quantum ground state and then manipulate its thermal fluctuations to produce a stationary, quadrature-squeezed state. We deduce that the variance of one motional…
We propose a domino-cooling method to realize simultaneous ground-state cooling of a coupled mechanical-resonator chain through an optomechanical cavity working in the unresolved-sideband regime. This domino-effect cooling is realized by combining the cold-damping feedback on the first mechanical resonator with nearest-neighbor couplings between other neighboring mechanical resonators. We obtain analytical results for the effective susceptibilities, noise spectra, final mean phonon numbers, and cooling rates of these mechanical resonators, and find the optimal-cooling condition for these reson…
A mechanical system can be optimally controlled through continuous measurements of its position followed by feedback. We revisit the complete formalism for predicting the performance of such as system without invoking the standard rotating wave approximations and the adiabatic approximation. Using this formalism we deduce both the conditional and unconditional state of a mechanical oscillator using the optimal control and feedback that leads to mechanical cooling and mechanical squeezing. We find large discrepancies between the exact solutions and the approximate solutions stressing the import…
We theoretically investigate the implementation of the two-mode squeezing operator in circuit quantum electrodynamics. Inspired by a previous scheme for optical cavities [Phys. Rev. A $\textbf{73}$, 043803(2006)], we employ a superconducting qubit coupled to two nondegenerate quantum modes and use a driving field on the qubit to adequately control the resonator-qubit interaction. Based on the generation of two-mode squeezed vacuum states, firstly we analyze the validity of our model in the ideal situation and then we investigate the influence of the dissipation mechanisms on the generation of …
We propose and analyze a simple method to squeeze dynamically and unconditionally the collective spin of a dilute atomic ensemble by interaction with a driven mode of an optical resonator, as recently demonstrated [I. D. L., M. H. S., and V. V., Phys. Rev. Lett. 104, 073602 (2010)]. We show that substantial squeezing can be achieved in the regime of strong collective ensemble-resonator coupling. The squeezing is ultimately limited either by photon emission into free space or by the curvature of the Bloch sphere. We derive both limits and show where each prevails.
We investigate nonlinear effects in an electromechanical system consisting of a superconducting charge qubit coupled to transmission line resonator and a nanomechanical oscillator, which in turn is coupled to another transmission line resonator. The nonlinearities induced by the superconducting qubit and the optomechanical coupling play an important role in creating optomechanical entanglement as well as the squeezing of the transmitted microwave field. We show that strong squeezing of the microwave field and robust optomechanical entanglement can be achieved in the presence of moderate therma…
We study cooling performance of a realistic mechanical resonator containing defects. The normal cooling method through an optomechanical system does not work efficiently due to those defects. We show by employing periodical $σ_z$ pulses, we can eliminate the interaction between defects and their surrounded heat baths up to the first order of time. Compared with the cooling performance of no $σ_z$ pulses case, much better cooling results are obtained. Moreover, this pulse sequence has an ability to improve the cooling performance of the resonator with different defects energy gaps and different…
We propose a quantum description of the cooling of a micromechanical flexural oscillator by a one-dimensional transmission line resonator via a force that resembles cavity radiation pressure. The mechanical oscillator is capacitively coupled to the central conductor of the transmission line resonator. At the optimal point, the micromechanical oscillator can be cooled close to the ground state, and the cooling can be measured by homodyne detection of the output microwave signal.
We analyze the quantum evolution of a weakly nonlinear resonator due to a classical near-resonant drive and damping. The resonator nonlinearity leads to squeezing and heating of the resonator state. Using a hybrid phase-space--Fock-space representation for the resonator state within the Gaussian approximation, we derive evolution equations for the four parameters characterizing the Gaussian state. Numerical solution of these four ordinary differential equations is much simpler and faster than simulation of the full density matrix evolution, while providing good accuracy for the system analysis…
We propose a scheme to cool down a mechanical resonator to its quantum ground-state, which is interacting with a working fluid via an optomechanical-like coupling. As opposed to standard laser cooling schemes where coherence renders the motion of a resonator to its ground-state, we consider an incoherent thermal source to achieve the same aim. We show that simultaneous cooling of two degenerate or near-degenerate mechanical resonators is possible, which is otherwise a challenging goal to achieve. The generalization of this method to the simultaneous cooling of multiple resonators is straightfo…
We propose a theoretical scheme for coupling a nanomechanical resonator to a single diatomic molecule via microwave cavity mode of a driven LC resonator. We describe the diatomic molecule by a Morse potential and find the corresponding equations of motion of the hybrid system by using Fokker-Planck formalism. Analytical expressions for the effective frequency and the effective damping of the nanomechanical resonator are obtained. We analyze the ground state cooling of the nanomechanical resonator in presence of the diatomic molecule. The results confirm that presence of the molecule improves t…
Ground state cooling of mechanical resonator is a way to generate macroscopic quantum states. Here we present a study of optomechanical cooling under the drive of square pulses without smooth profile. By illustrating the dynamical processes of cooling, we show how to choose the amplitudes and durations of square pulses, as well as the intervals between them, so that a mechanical resonator can be quickly cooled down to its ground state. Compared with the cooling under a continuous-wave drive field, the ground state cooling of a mechanical resonator can be performed more efficiently and flexibly…
When a gain system is coupled to a loss system, the energy usually flows from the gain system to the loss one. We here present a counterintuitive theory for the ground-state cooling of the mechanical resonator in optomechanical system via a gain cavity. The energy flows first from the mechanical resonator into the loss cavity, then into the gain cavity, and finally localizes there. The energy localization in the gain cavity dramatically enhances the cooling rate of the mechanical resonator. Moreover, we show that unconventional optical spring effect, e.g., giant frequency shift and optically i…
Quantum manipulation of mechanical resonators has been widely applied in fundamental physics and quantum information processing. Among them, cooling the mechanical system to its quantum ground state is regarded as a key step. In this work, we propose a scheme which one can realize ground-state cooling of resonator in a cavity magnomechanical system. The system consists of a microwave cavity and a small ferromagnetic sphere, in which phonon-magnon coupling and cavity photon-magnon coupling can be achieved via magnetostrictive interaction and magnetic dipole interaction, respectively. After adia…
In this paper, we study theoretically a hybrid optomechanical system consisting of a degenerate optical parametric amplifier inside a driven optical cavity with a moving end mirror which is modeled as a stiffening Duffing-like anharmonic quantum mechanical oscillator. By providing analytical expressions for the critical values of the system parameters corresponding to the emergence of the multistability behavior in the steady-state response of the system, we show that the stiffening mechanical Duffing anharmonicity reduces the width of the multistability region while the optical parametric non…
With the purpose of controlling the steady state of a dielectric nanosphere levitated within an optical cavity, we study its conditional dynamics under simultaneous sideband cooling and additional time-continuous measurement of either the output cavity mode or the nanosphere's position. We find that the average phonon number, purity and quantum squeezing of the steady-states can all be made more non-classical through the addition of time-continuous measurement. We predict that the continuous monitoring of the system, together with Markovian feedback, allows one to stabilize the dynamics for an…
