Metrology with PT-Symmetric Cavities: Enhanced Sensitivity near the PT-Phase Transition

Zhong-Peng Liu, Jing Zhang, Şahin Kaya Özdemir, Bo Peng, Hui Jing, Xin-You Lü, Chun-Wen Li, Lan Yang, Franco Nori, and Yu-xi Liu
Phys. Rev. Lett. 117, 110802 – Published 7 September 2016
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Abstract

We propose and analyze a new approach based on parity-time (PT) symmetric microcavities with balanced gain and loss to enhance the performance of cavity-assisted metrology. We identify the conditions under which PT-symmetric microcavities allow us to improve sensitivity beyond what is achievable in loss-only systems. We discuss the application of PT-symmetric microcavities to the detection of mechanical motion, and show that the sensitivity is significantly enhanced near the transition point from unbroken- to broken-PT regimes. Our results open a new direction for PT-symmetric physical systems and it may find use in ultrahigh precision metrology and sensing.

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  • Received 10 August 2015

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.117.110802

© 2016 American Physical Society

Physics Subject Headings (PhySH)

Atomic, Molecular & Optical

Authors & Affiliations

Zhong-Peng Liu1,2, Jing Zhang1,2,3,†, Şahin Kaya Özdemir3,‡, Bo Peng3, Hui Jing4,5, Xin-You Lü4,6, Chun-Wen Li1,2, Lan Yang3,*, Franco Nori4,7, and Yu-xi Liu2,8

  • 1Department of Automation, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
  • 2Tsinghua National Laboratory for Information Science and Technology, Beijing 100084, China
  • 3Department of Electrical and Systems Engineering, Washington University, St. Louis, Missouri 63130, USA
  • 4CEMS, RIKEN, Saitama 351-0198, Japan
  • 5Key Laboratory of Low-Dimensional Quantum Structures and Quantum Control of Ministry of Education, Department of Physics and Synergetic Innovation Center for Quantum Effects and Applications, Hunan Normal University, Changsha 410081, China
  • 6School of Physics, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, China
  • 7Physics Department, The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, USA
  • 8Institute of Microelectronics, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China

  • *Corresponding author. yang@seas.wustl.edu
  • jing-zhang@mail.tsinghua.edu.cn
  • ozdemir@wustl.edu

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Issue

Vol. 117, Iss. 11 — 9 September 2016

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