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Feedback Cooling of the Normal Modes of a Massive Electromechanical System to Submillikelvin Temperature

A. Vinante, M. Bignotto, M. Bonaldi, M. Cerdonio, L. Conti, P. Falferi, N. Liguori, S. Longo, R. Mezzena, A. Ortolan, G. A. Prodi, F. Salemi, L. Taffarello, G. Vedovato, S. Vitale, and J.-P. Zendri
Phys. Rev. Lett. 101, 033601 – Published 14 July 2008
Physics logo See Viewpoint: How to silence a one-ton bell

Abstract

We apply a feedback cooling technique to simultaneously cool the three electromechanical normal modes of the ton-scale resonant-bar gravitational wave detector AURIGA. The measuring system is based on a dc superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) amplifier, and the feedback cooling is applied electronically to the input circuit of the SQUID. Starting from a bath temperature of 4.2 K, we achieve a minimum temperature of 0.17 mK for the coolest normal mode. The same technique, implemented in a dedicated experiment at subkelvin bath temperature and with a quantum limited SQUID, could allow to approach the quantum ground state of a kilogram-scale mechanical resonator.

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  • Received 3 March 2008

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.101.033601

©2008 American Physical Society

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How to silence a one-ton bell

Published 14 July 2008

The longitudinal ringing mode of a metal bar resonator weighing approximately one metric ton has been cooled to submillikelvin temperatures with the use of active amplifier feedback. Further improvements may allow researchers to approach the quantum limit for cooling macroscopic objects.

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Authors & Affiliations

A. Vinante1,2,*, M. Bignotto3,4, M. Bonaldi1,2, M. Cerdonio3,4, L. Conti3,4, P. Falferi1,2, N. Liguori3,4, S. Longo5, R. Mezzena6,2, A. Ortolan5, G. A. Prodi6,2, F. Salemi6,2, L. Taffarello4, G. Vedovato4, S. Vitale6,2, and J.-P. Zendri4

  • 1Istituto di Fotonica e Nanotecnologie, CNR-Fondazione Bruno Kessler, 38100 Povo, Trento, Italy
  • 2INFN, Gruppo Collegato di Trento, Sezione di Padova, 38100 Povo, Trento, Italy
  • 3Dipartimento di Fisica, Università di Padova, 35131 Padova, Italy
  • 4INFN, Sezione di Padova, 35131 Padova, Italy
  • 5INFN, Laboratori Nazionali di Legnaro, 35020 Legnaro, Padova, Italy
  • 6Dipartimento di Fisica, Università di Trento, 38100 Povo, Trento, Italy

  • *vinante@science.unitn.it

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Vol. 101, Iss. 3 — 18 July 2008

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