Cooling of a Mirror by Radiation Pressure

P. F. Cohadon; A. Heidmann; M. Pinard

doi:10.1103/PhysRevLett.83.3174

Cooling of a Mirror by Radiation Pressure

P. F. Cohadon, A. Heidmann, and M. Pinard

Phys. Rev. Lett. 83, 3174 – Published 18 October 1999

Abstract

We describe an experiment in which a mirror is cooled by the radiation pressure of light. A high-finesse optical cavity with a mirror coated on a mechanical resonator is used as an optomechanical sensor of the Brownian motion of the mirror. A feedback mechanism controls this motion via the radiation pressure of a laser beam reflected on the mirror. We have observed either a cooling or a heating of the mirror, depending on the gain of the feedback loop.

Received 30 March 1999

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.83.3174

Authors & Affiliations

P. F. Cohadon^*, A. Heidmann^†, and M. Pinard^‡,§

Laboratoire Kastler Brossel, Case 74, 4 place Jussieu, F75252 Paris Cedex 05, France

^*Email address: cohadon@spectro.jussieu.fr
^†Email address: heidmann@spectro.jussieu.fr
^‡Email address: pinard@spectro.jussieu.fr
^§Laboratoire de l'Université Pierre et Marie Curie et de l'Ecole Normale Supérieure associé au Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique