940 research outputs found
Optical phase-space reconstruction of mirror position at the attometer level
We describe an experiment in which the quadratures of the position of an
harmonically-bound mirror are observed at the attometer level. We have studied
the Brownian motion of the mirror, both in the free regime and in the
cold-damped regime when an external viscous force is applied by radiation
pressure. We have also studied the thermal-noise squeezing when the external
force is parametrically modulated. We have observed both the 50% theoretical
limit of squeezing at low gain and the parametric oscillation of the mirror for
a large gain.Comment: 10 pages, 11 figure
Characterization of a Low Frequency Power Spectral Density f^(-gamma) in a Threshold Model
his study investigates the modifications of the thermal spectrum, at low
frequency, induced by an external damping on a system in heat contact with
internal fluctuating impurities. Those impurities can move among locations and
their oscillations are associated with a loss function depending on the model.
The fluctuation properties of the system are provided by a potential function
shaped by wells, in such a way that jumps between the stationary positions are
allowed. The power spectral density associated with this dissipation mechanism
shows a f^(-gamma)tail. The interest of this problem is that many systems are
characterized by a typical f^(-\gamma) spectral tail at low frequency. The
model presented in this article is based on a threshold type behaviour and its
generality allows applications in several fields. The effects of an external
force, introduced to produce damping, are studied by using both analytical
techniques and numerical simulations. The results obtained with the present
model show that no reduction of the power spectral density is appreciable below
the main peak of the spectral density.Comment: 15 pages, 6 figure
High-sensitivity optical monitoring of a micro-mechanical resonator with a quantum-limited optomechanical sensor
We experimentally demonstrate the high-sensitivity optical monitoring of a
micro-mechanical resonator and its cooling by active control. Coating a
low-loss mirror upon the resonator, we have built an optomechanical sensor
based on a very high-finesse cavity (30000). We have measured the thermal noise
of the resonator with a quantum-limited sensitivity at the 10^-19 m/rootHz
level, and cooled the resonator down to 5K by a cold-damping technique.
Applications of our setup range from quantum optics experiments to the
experimental demonstration of the quantum ground state of a macroscopic
mechanical resonator.Comment: 4 pages, 5 figure
Probing optomechanical correlations between two optical beams down to the quantum level
Quantum effects of radiation pressure are expected to limit the sensitivity
of second-generation gravitational-wave interferometers. Though ubiquitous,
such effects are so weak that they haven't been experimentally demonstrated
yet. Using a high-finesse optical cavity and a classical intensity noise, we
have demonstrated radiation-pressure induced correlations between two optical
beams sent into the same moving mirror cavity. Our scheme can be extended down
to the quantum level and has applications both in high-sensitivity measurements
and in quantum optics
Nonlinear mechanics with photonic crystal nanomembranes
Optomechanical systems close to their quantum ground state and nonlinear
nanoelectromechanical systems are two hot topics of current physics research.
As high-reflectivity and low mass are crucial features to improve
optomechanical coupling towards the ground state, we have designed, fabricated
and characterized photonic crystal nanomembranes, at the crossroad of both
topics. Here we demonstrate a number of nonlinear effects with these membranes.
We first characterize the nonlinear behavior of a single mechanical mode and we
demonstrate its nonlocal character by monitoring the subsequent
actuation-related frequency shift of a different mode. We then proceed to study
the underlying nonlinear dynamics, both by monitoring the phase-space
trajectory of the free resonator and by characterizing the mechanical response
in presence of a strong pump excitation. We observe in particular the frequency
evolution during a ring-down oscillation decay, and the emergence of a phase
conjugate mechanical response to a weaker probe actuation. Our results are
crucial to understand the full nonlinear features of the PhC membranes, and
possibly to look for nonlinear signatures of the quantum dynamics
Radiation-pressure cooling and optomechanical instability of a micro-mirror
Recent experimental progress in table-top experiments or gravitational-wave
interferometers has enlightened the unique displacement sensitivity offered by
optical interferometry. As the mirrors move in response to radiation pressure,
higher power operation, though crucial for further sensitivity enhancement,
will however increase quantum effects of radiation pressure, or even jeopardize
the stable operation of the detuned cavities proposed for next-generation
interferometers. The appearance of such optomechanical instabilities is the
result of the nonlinear interplay between the motion of the mirrors and the
optical field dynamics. In a detuned cavity indeed, the displacements of the
mirror are coupled to intensity fluctuations, which modifies the effective
dynamics of the mirror. Such "optical spring" effects have already been
demonstrated on the mechanical damping of an electromagnetic waveguide with a
moving wall, on the resonance frequency of a specially designed flexure
oscillator, and through the optomechanical instability of a silica
micro-toroidal resonator. We present here an experiment where a
micro-mechanical resonator is used as a mirror in a very high-finesse optical
cavity and its displacements monitored with an unprecedented sensitivity. By
detuning the cavity, we have observed a drastic cooling of the micro-resonator
by intracavity radiation pressure, down to an effective temperature of 10 K. We
have also obtained an efficient heating for an opposite detuning, up to the
observation of a radiation-pressure induced instability of the resonator.
Further experimental progress and cryogenic operation may lead to the
experimental observation of the quantum ground state of a mechanical resonator,
either by passive or active cooling techniques
Thermal noise of a plano-convex mirror
We study theoretically the internal thermal noise of a mirror coated on a
plano-convex substrate. The comparison with a cylindrical mirror of the same
mass shows that the effect on a light beam can be reduced by a factor 10,
improving the sensitivity of high-precision optical experiments such as
gravitational-wave interferometers.Comment: 5 pages, 5 figures, RevTe
A micropillar for cavity optomechanics
We present a new micromechanical resonator designed for cavity optomechanics.
We have used a micropillar geometry to obtain a high-frequency mechanical
resonance with a low effective mass and a very high quality factor. We have
coated a 60-m diameter low-loss dielectric mirror on top of the pillar and
are planning to use this micromirror as part of a high-finesse Fabry-Perot
cavity, to laser cool the resonator down to its quantum ground state and to
monitor its quantum position fluctuations by quantum-limited optical
interferometry
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