Single-Phonon Addition and Subtraction to a Mechanical Thermal State

G. Enzian, J. J. Price, L. Freisem, J. Nunn, J. Janousek, B. C. Buchler, P. K. Lam, and M. R. Vanner
Phys. Rev. Lett. 126, 033601 – Published 21 January 2021
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Abstract

Adding or subtracting a single quantum of excitation to a thermal state of a bosonic system has the counter-intuitive effect of approximately doubling its mean occupation. We perform the first experimental demonstration of this effect outside optics by implementing single-phonon addition and subtraction to a thermal state of a mechanical oscillator via Brillouin optomechanics in an optical whispering-gallery microresonator. Using a detection scheme that combines single-photon counting and optical heterodyne detection, we observe this doubling of the mechanical thermal fluctuations to a high precision. The capabilities of this joint click-dyne detection scheme adds a significant new dimension for optomechanical quantum science and applications.

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  • Received 14 May 2020
  • Accepted 7 December 2020

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.126.033601

© 2021 American Physical Society

Physics Subject Headings (PhySH)

Atomic, Molecular & OpticalGeneral PhysicsQuantum Information, Science & Technology

Authors & Affiliations

G. Enzian1,2,3, J. J. Price1,2,4, L. Freisem1,2, J. Nunn4, J. Janousek5, B. C. Buchler5, P. K. Lam5, and M. R. Vanner1,2

  • 1QOLS, Blackett Laboratory, Imperial College London, London SW7 2BW, United Kingdom
  • 2Clarendon Laboratory, Department of Physics, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3PU, United Kingdom
  • 3Niels Bohr Institute, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen 2100, Denmark
  • 4Centre for Photonics and Photonic Materials, Department of Physics, University of Bath, Bath BA2 7AY, United Kingdom
  • 5Centre for Quantum Computation and Communication Technology, Research School of Physics and Engineering, Australian National University, Canberra 2601, Australia

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Issue

Vol. 126, Iss. 3 — 22 January 2021

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