High-frequency cavity optomechanics using bulk acoustic phonons

To date, microscale and nanoscale optomechanical systems have enabled many proof-of-principle quantum operations through access to high-frequency (gigahertz) phonon modes that are readily cooled to their thermal ground state. However, minuscule amounts of absorbed light produce excessive heating that can jeopardize robust ground-state operation within these microstructures. In contrast, we demonstrate an alternative strategy for accessing high-frequency (13 GHz) phonons within macroscopic systems (centimeter scale) using phase-matched Brillouin interactions between two distinct optical cavity modes. Counterintuitively, we show that these macroscopic systems, with motional masses that are 1 million to 100 million times larger than those of microscale counterparts, offer a complementary path toward robust ground-state operation. We perform both optomechanically induced amplification/transparency measurements and demonstrate parametric instability of bulk phonon modes. This is an important step toward using these beam splitter and two-mode squeezing interactions within bulk acoustic systems for applications ranging from quantum memories and microwave-to-optical conversion to high-power laser oscillators

Customer is King? A Framework to Shift from Cost- to Value-Based Pricing in Software as a Service: The Case of Business Intelligence Software

Part 1: Digital ServicesInternational audienceWith a shift from the purchase of a product to the delivery of a service, cloud computing has revolutionized the software industry. Its cost structure has changed with the introduction of Software as a Service (SaaS), resulting in decreasing variable costs and necessary amendments to the software vendors’ pricing models. In order to justify the gap between the software’s price and the incremental cost of adding a new customer, it is essential for the vendor to focus on the added value for the client. This shift from cost- to value-based pricing models has so far not been thoroughly studied. Through literature review and expert interviews, a conceptual model for customer-centric SaaS pricing, especially Business Intelligence & Business Analytics tools, has been developed. The model has then been initially validated by discussions with the top five software players in this realm and builds a strong basis for further theoretical inquiry and practical application