718 research outputs found
Cavity cooling a single charged nanoparticle
The development of laser cooling coupled with the ability to trap atoms and
ions in electromagnetic fields, has revolutionised atomic and optical physics,
leading to the development of atomic clocks, high-resolution spectroscopy and
applications in quantum simulation and processing. However, complex systems,
such as large molecules and nanoparticles, lack the simple internal resonances
required for laser cooling. Here we report on a hybrid scheme that uses the
external resonance of an optical cavity, combined with radio frequency (RF)
fields, to trap and cool a single charged nanoparticle. An RF Paul trap allows
confinement in vacuum, avoiding instabilities that arise from optical fields
alone, and crucially actively participates in the cooling process. This system
offers great promise for cooling and trapping a wide range of complex charged
particles with applications in precision force sensing, mass spectrometry,
exploration of quantum mechanics at large mass scales and the possibility of
creating large quantum superpositions.Comment: 8 pages, 5 figures Updated version includes additional references,
new title, and supplementary information include
Optomechanical cooling of levitated spheres with doubly-resonant fields
Optomechanical cooling of levitated dielectric particles represents a
promising new approach in the quest to cool small mechanical resonators towards
their quantum ground state. We investigate two-mode cooling of levitated
nanospheres in a self-trapping regime. We identify a rich structure of split
sidebands (by a mechanism unrelated to usual strong-coupling effects) and
strong cooling even when one mode is blue detuned. We show the best regimes
occur when both optical fields cooperatively cool and trap the nanosphere,
where cooling rates are over an order of magnitude faster compared to
corresponding single-sideband cooling rates.Comment: 8 Pages, 7 figure
Dynamics of levitated nanospheres: towards the strong coupling regime
The use of levitated nanospheres represents a new paradigm for the
optomechanical cooling of a small mechanical oscillator, with the prospect of
realising quantum oscillators with unprecedentedly high quality factors. We
investigate the dynamics of this system, especially in the so-called
self-trapping regimes, where one or more optical fields simultaneously trap and
cool the mechanical oscillator. The determining characteristic of this regime
is that both the mechanical frequency and single-photon
optomechanical coupling strength parameters are a function of the optical
field intensities, in contrast to usual set-ups where and are
constant for the given system. We also measure the characteristic transverse
and axial trapping frequencies of different sized silica nanospheres in a
simple optical standing wave potential, for spheres of radii \,nm,
illustrating a protocol for loading single nanospheres into a standing wave
optical trap that would be formed by an optical cavity. We use this data to
confirm the dependence of the effective optomechanical coupling strength on
sphere radius for levitated nanospheres in an optical cavity and discuss the
prospects for reaching regimes of strong light-matter coupling. Theoretical
semiclassical and quantum displacement noise spectra show that for larger
nanospheres with \,nm a range of interesting and novel dynamical
regimes can be accessed. These include simultaneous hybridization of the two
optical modes with the mechanical modes and parameter regimes where the system
is bistable. We show that here, in contrast to typical single-optical mode
optomechanical systems, bistabilities are independent of intracavity intensity
and can occur for very weak laser driving amplitudes
Multiple Tyrosine Residues Contribute to GABA Binding in the GABA_C Receptor Binding Pocket
The ligand binding site of Cys-loop receptors is dominated by aromatic amino acids. In GABA_C receptors, these are predominantly tyrosine residues, with a number of other aromatic residues located in or close to the binding pocket. Here we examine the roles of these residues using substitution with both natural and unnatural amino acids followed by functional characterization. Tyr198 (loop B) has previously been shown to form a cationâÏ interaction with GABA; the current data indicate that none of the other aromatic residues form such an interaction, although the data indicate that both Tyr102 and Phe138 may contribute to stabilization of the positively charged amine of GABA. Tyr247 (loop C) was very sensitive to substitution and, combined with data from a model of the receptor, suggest a ÏâÏ interaction with Tyr241 (loop C); here again functional data show aromaticity is important. In addition the hydroxyl group of Tyr241 is important, supporting the presence of a hydrogen bond with Arg104 suggested by the model. At position Tyr102 (loop D) size and aromaticity are important; this residue may play a role in receptor gating and/or ligand binding. The data also suggest that Tyr167, Tyr200, and Tyr208 have a structural role while Tyr106, Trp246, and Tyr251 are not critical. Comparison of the agonist binding site âaromatic boxâ across the superfamily of Cys-loop receptors reveals some interesting parallels and divergences
Brownian Carnot engine
The Carnot cycle imposes a fundamental upper limit to the efficiency of a
macroscopic motor operating between two thermal baths. However, this bound
needs to be reinterpreted at microscopic scales, where molecular bio-motors and
some artificial micro-engines operate. As described by stochastic
thermodynamics, energy transfers in microscopic systems are random and thermal
fluctuations induce transient decreases of entropy, allowing for possible
violations of the Carnot limit. Despite its potential relevance for the
development of a thermodynamics of small systems, an experimental study of
microscopic Carnot engines is still lacking. Here we report on an experimental
realization of a Carnot engine with a single optically trapped Brownian
particle as working substance. We present an exhaustive study of the energetics
of the engine and analyze the fluctuations of the finite-time efficiency,
showing that the Carnot bound can be surpassed for a small number of
non-equilibrium cycles. As its macroscopic counterpart, the energetics of our
Carnot device exhibits basic properties that one would expect to observe in any
microscopic energy transducer operating with baths at different temperatures.
Our results characterize the sources of irreversibility in the engine and the
statistical properties of the efficiency -an insight that could inspire novel
strategies in the design of efficient nano-motors.Comment: 7 pages, 7 figure
Nanoscale temperature measurements using non-equilibrium Brownian dynamics of a levitated nanosphere
Einstein realised that the fluctuations of a Brownian particle can be used to
ascertain properties of its environment. A large number of experiments have
since exploited the Brownian motion of colloidal particles for studies of
dissipative processes, providing insight into soft matter physics, and leading
to applications from energy harvesting to medical imaging. Here we use
optically levitated nanospheres that are heated to investigate the
non-equilibrium properties of the gas surrounding them. Analysing the sphere's
Brownian motion allows us to determine the temperature of the centre-of-mass
motion of the sphere, its surface temperature and the heated gas temperature in
two spatial dimensions. We observe asymmetric heating of the sphere and gas,
with temperatures reaching the melting point of the material. This method
offers new opportunities for accurate temperature measurements with spatial
resolution on the nanoscale, and a new means for testing non-equilibrium
thermodynamicsComment: 5 pages, 4 figures, supplementary material available upon reques
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