6,337 research outputs found
Observation and interpretation of motional sideband asymmetry in a quantum electro-mechanical device
Quantum electro-mechanical systems offer a unique opportunity to probe
quantum noise properties in macroscopic devices, properties which ultimately
stem from the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle. A simple example of this is
expected to occur in a microwave parametric transducer, where mechanical motion
generates motional sidebands corresponding to the up and down
frequency-conversion of microwave photons. Due to quantum vacuum noise, the
rates of these processes are expected to be unequal. We measure this
fundamental imbalance in a microwave transducer coupled to a radio-frequency
mechanical mode, cooled near the ground state of motion. We also discuss the
subtle origin of this imbalance: depending on the measurement scheme, the
imbalance is most naturally attributed to the quantum fluctuations of either
the mechanical mode or of the electromagnetic field
Quantum squeezing of motion in a mechanical resonator
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 quadrature is 0.80 times the zero-point level, or 1 dB of
sub-zero-point squeezing. This work is relevant to the quantum engineering of
states of matter at large length scales, the study of decoherence of large
quantum systems, and for the realization of ultra-sensitive sensing of force
and motion
Quantum-measurement backaction from a Bose-Einstein condensate coupled to a mechanical oscillator
We study theoretically the dynamics of a hybrid optomechanical system consisting of a macroscopic mechanical membrane magnetically coupled to a spinor Bose-Einstein condensate via a nanomagnet attached at the membrane center. We demonstrate that this coupling permits us to monitor indirectly the center-of-mass position of the membrane via measurements of the spin of the condensed atoms. These measurements normally induce a significant backaction on the membrane motion, which we quantify for the cases of thermal and coherent initial states of the membrane. We discuss the possibility of measuring this quantum backaction via repeated measurements. We also investigate the potential to generate nonclassical states of the membrane, in particular Schrödinger-cat states, via such repeated measurements
Mechanically Detecting and Avoiding the Quantum Fluctuations of a Microwave Field
During the theoretical investigation of the ultimate sensitivity of
gravitational wave detectors through the 1970's and '80's, it was debated
whether quantum fluctuations of the light field used for detection, also known
as photon shot noise, would ultimately produce a force noise which would
disturb the detector and limit the sensitivity. Carlton Caves famously answered
this question with "They do." With this understanding came ideas how to avoid
this limitation by giving up complete knowledge of the detector's motion. In
these back-action evading (BAE) or quantum non-demolition (QND) schemes, one
manipulates the required quantum measurement back-action by placing it into a
component of the motion which is unobserved and dynamically isolated. Using a
superconducting, electro-mechanical device, we realize a sensitive measurement
of a single motional quadrature with imprecision below the zero-point
fluctuations of motion, detect both the classical and quantum measurement
back-action, and demonstrate BAE avoiding the quantum back-action from the
microwave photons by 9 dB. Further improvements of these techniques are
expected to provide a practical route to manipulate and prepare a squeezed
state of motion with mechanical fluctuations below the quantum zero-point
level, which is of interest both fundamentally and for the detection of very
weak forces
Quantum measurement backaction from a BEC coupled to a mechanical oscillator
We study theoretically the dynamics of a a hybrid optomechanical system
consisting of a macroscopic mechanical membrane magnetically coupled to a
spinor Bose-Einstein condensate via a nanomagnet attached at the membrane
center. We demonstrate that this coupling permits us to monitor indirectly the
center-of-mass position of the membrane via measurements of the spin of the
condensed atoms. These measurements normally induce a significant backaction on
the membrane motion, which we quantify for the cases of thermal and coherent
initial states of the membrane. We discuss the possibility of measuring that
quantum backaction via repeated measurements. We also investigate the potential
to generate non-classical states of the membrane, in particular Schrodinger cat
states, via such repeated measurements.Comment: 14 pages, 4 figures. Submitted to PR
Nogo-a regulates neural precursor migration in the embryonic mouse cortex
Although Nogo-A has been intensively studied for its inhibitory effect on axonal regeneration in the adult central nervous system, little is known about its function during brain development. In the embryonic mouse cortex, Nogo-A is expressed by radial precursor/glial cells and by tangentially migrating as well as postmigratory neurons. We studied radially migrating neuroblasts in wild-type and Nogo-A knockout (KO) mouse embryos. In vitro analysis showed that Nogo-A and its receptor components NgR, Lingo-1, TROY, and p75 are expressed in cells emigrating from embryonic forebrain-derived neurospheres. Live imaging revealed an increased cell motility when Nogo-A was knocked out or blocked with antibodies. Antibodies blocking NgR or Lingo-1 showed the same motility-enhancing effect supporting a direct role of surface Nogo-A on migration. Bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) labeling of embryonic day (E)15.5 embryos demonstrated that Nogo-A influences the radial migration of neuronal precursors. At E17.5, the normal transient accumulation of radially migrating precursors within the subventricular zone was not detectable in the Nogo-A KO mouse cortex. At E19, migration to the upper cortical layers was disturbed. These findings suggest that Nogo-A and its receptor complex play a role in the interplay of adhesive and repulsive cell interactions in radial migration during cortical developmen
Inverse Spin Hall Effect and Anomalous Hall Effect in a Two-Dimensional Electron Gas
We study the coupled dynamics of spin and charge currents in a
two-dimensional electron gas in the transport diffusive regime. For systems
with inversion symmetry there are established relations between the spin Hall
effect, the anomalous Hall effect and the inverse spin Hall effect. However, in
two-dimensional electron gases of semiconductors like GaAs, inversion symmetry
is broken so that the standard arguments do not apply. We demonstrate that in
the presence of a Rashba type of spin-orbit coupling (broken structural
inversion symmetry) the anomalous Hall effect, the spin Hall and inverse spin
Hall effect are substantially different effects. Furthermore we discuss the
inverse spin Hall effect for a two-dimensional electron gas with Rashba and
Dresselhaus spin-orbit coupling; our results agree with a recent experiment.Comment: 5 page
Dissipation in nanocrystalline-diamond nanomechanical resonators
We have measured the dissipation and frequency of nanocrystalline-diamond nanomechanical resonators with resonant frequencies between 13.7 MHz and 157.3 MHz, over a temperature range of 1.4–274 K. Using both magnetomotive network analysis and a time-domain ring-down technique, we have found the dissipation in this material to have a temperature dependence roughly following T^(0.2), with Q^(–1) ≈ 10^(–4) at low temperatures. The frequency dependence of a large dissipation feature at ~35–55 K is consistent with thermal activation over a 0.02 eV barrier with an attempt frequency of 10 GHz
Dynamics of a two-level system strongly coupled to a high-frequency quantum oscillator
Recent experiments on quantum behavior in microfabricated solid-state systems
suggest tantalizing connections to quantum optics. Several of these experiments
address the prototypical problem of cavity quantum electrodynamics: a two-level
system coupled to a quantum harmonic oscillator. Such devices may allow the
exploration of parameter regimes outside the near-resonance and weak-coupling
assumptions of the ubiquitous rotating-wave approximation (RWA), necessitating
other theoretical approaches. One such approach is an adiabatic approximation
in the limit that the oscillator frequency is much larger than the
characteristic frequency of the two-level system. A derivation of the
approximation is presented and the time evolution of the two-level-system
occupation probability is calculated using both thermal- and coherent-state
initial conditions for the oscillator. Closed-form evaluation of the time
evolution in the weak-coupling limit provides insight into the differences
between the thermal- and coherent-state models. Finally, potential experimental
observations in solid-state systems, particularly the Cooper-pair
box--nanomechanical resonator system, are discussed and found to be promising.Comment: 16 pages, 11 figures; revised abstract; some text revisions; added
two figures and combined others; added references. Submitted to Phys. Rev.
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