1,101 research outputs found
Photothermal effects in ultra-precisely stabilized tunable microcavities
We study the mechanical stability of a tunable high-finesse microcavity under
ambient conditions and investigate light-induced effects that can both suppress
and excite mechanical fluctuations. As an enabling step, we demonstrate the
ultra-precise electronic stabilization of a microcavity. We then show that
photothermal mirror expansion can provide high-bandwidth feedback and improve
cavity stability by almost two orders of magnitude. At high intracavity power,
we observe self-oscillations of mechanical resonances of the cavity. We explain
the observations by a dynamic photothermal instability, leading to parametric
driving of mechanical motion. For an optimized combination of electronic and
photothermal stabilization, we achieve a feedback bandwidth of kHz and a
noise level of m rms
Bose-Einstein condensate coupled to a nanomechanical resonator on an atom chip
We theoretically study the coupling of Bose-Einstein condensed atoms to the
mechanical oscillations of a nanoscale cantilever with a magnetic tip. This is
an experimentally viable hybrid quantum system which allows one to explore the
interface of quantum optics and condensed matter physics. We propose an
experiment where easily detectable atomic spin-flips are induced by the
cantilever motion. This can be used to probe thermal oscillations of the
cantilever with the atoms. At low cantilever temperatures, as realized in
recent experiments, the backaction of the atoms onto the cantilever is
significant and the system represents a mechanical analog of cavity quantum
electrodynamics. With high but realistic cantilever quality factors, the strong
coupling regime can be reached, either with single atoms or collectively with
Bose-Einstein condensates. We discuss an implementation on an atom chip.Comment: published version (5 pages, 3 figures
Fiber Fabry-Perot cavity with high finesse
We have realized a fiber-based Fabry-Perot cavity with CO2 laser-machined
mirrors. It combines very small size, high finesse F>=130000, small waist and
mode volume, and good mode matching between the fiber and cavity modes. This
combination of features is a major advance for cavity quantum electrodynamics
(CQED), as shown in recent CQED experiments with Bose-Einstein condensates
enabled by this cavity [Y. Colombe et al., Nature 450, 272 (2007)]. It should
also be suitable for a wide range of other applications, including coupling to
solid-state emitters, gas detection at the single-particle level, fiber-coupled
single-photon sources and high-resolution optical filters with large stopband.Comment: Submitted to New J. Phys
Cavity-enhanced Raman Microscopy of Individual Carbon Nanotubes
Raman spectroscopy reveals chemically specific information and provides
label-free insight into the molecular world. However, the signals are
intrinsically weak and call for enhancement techniques. Here, we demonstrate
Purcell enhancement of Raman scattering in a tunable high-finesse microcavity,
and utilize it for molecular diagnostics by combined Raman and absorption
imaging. Studying individual single-wall carbon nanotubes, we identify crucial
structural parameters such as nanotube radius, electronic structure and
extinction cross-section. We observe a 320-times enhanced Raman scattering
spectral density and an effective Purcell factor of 6.2, together with a
collection efficiency of 60%. Potential for significantly higher enhancement,
quantitative signals, inherent spectral filtering and absence of intrinsic
background in cavity-vacuum stimulated Raman scattering render the technique a
promising tool for molecular imaging. Furthermore, cavity-enhanced Raman
transitions involving localized excitons could potentially be used for gaining
quantum control over nanomechanical motion and open a route for molecular
cavity optomechanics
Cavity-enhanced optical detection of carbon nanotube Brownian motion
Optical cavities with small mode volume are well-suited to detect the
vibration of sub-wavelength sized objects. Here we employ a fiber-based,
high-finesse optical microcavity to detect the Brownian motion of a freely
suspended carbon nanotube at room temperature under vacuum. The optical
detection resolves deflections of the oscillating tube down to 50pm/Hz^1/2. A
full vibrational spectrum of the carbon nanotube is obtained and confirmed by
characterization of the same device in a scanning electron microscope. Our work
successfully extends the principles of high-sensitivity optomechanical
detection to molecular scale nanomechanical systems.Comment: 14 pages, 11 figure
Resonant coupling of a Bose-Einstein condensate to a micromechanical oscillator
We report experiments in which the vibrations of a micromechanical oscillator
are coupled to the motion of Bose-condensed atoms in a trap. The interaction
relies on surface forces experienced by the atoms at about one micrometer
distance from the mechanical structure. We observe resonant coupling to several
well-resolved mechanical modes of the condensate. Coupling via surface forces
does not require magnets, electrodes, or mirrors on the oscillator and could
thus be employed to couple atoms to molecular-scale oscillators such as carbon
nanotubes.Comment: 9 pages, 4 figure
A scanning cavity microscope
Imaging the optical properties of individual nanosystems beyond fluorescence can provide a wealth of information. However, the minute signals for absorption and dispersion are challenging to observe, and only specialized techniques requiring sophisticated noise rejection are available. Here we use signal enhancement in a high-finesse scanning optical microcavity to demonstrate ultra-sensitive imaging. Harnessing multiple interactions of probe light with a sample within an optical resonator, we achieve a 1, 700-fold signal enhancement compared with diffraction-limited microscopy. We demonstrate quantitative imaging of the extinction cross-section of gold nanoparticles with a sensitivity less than 1 nm(2);we show a method to improve the spatial resolution potentially below the diffraction limit by using higher order cavity modes, and we present measurements of the birefringence and extinction contrast of gold nanorods. The demonstrated simultaneous enhancement of absorptive and dispersive signals promises intriguing potential for optical studies of nanomaterials, molecules and biological nanosystems
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