Mechanical Quantum Resonators: Quantum Optics with Phonons

机械量子谐振器：声子量子光学

• 批准号: 0605818
• 负责人: Andrew Cleland
• 金额: $ 35.5万
• 依托单位: University of California-Santa Barbara
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Continuing grant
• 财政年份: 2006
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2006-07-01 至 2011-06-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0605818&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Mechanical; Quantum; Resonators; Optics; Phonons

****NON-TECHNICAL ABSTRACT****:Quantum mechanics controls the behavior of very small, atomic-scale systems like the hydrogen atom and the electron. Demonstrations of the applicability of quantum mechanics to larger scale systems, especially ones with millions or more independent atoms, are challenging due to the need to isolate the system of interest from the environment that surrounds them, an environment that demolishes the quantum effects so peculiar to our classical experience. To date, no clear demonstration of quantum effects in large systems has been performed, certainly not in large mechanical systems. This project will focus on the construction of small mechanical resonators, similar to quartz crystals used to time computer circuits, sufficiently disconnected from the rest of the world to allow quantum effects to be displayed in an unambiguous fashion. In particular, the quantum nature of vibrational energy, which is predicted to change in steps rather than in a continuous fashion, will be explored in detail. The multidisciplinary project integrates research and education in order to train students and postdoctoral researchers in modern methods required to address this key problem in physics, which will be integrated with engineering and nanotechnology to achieve the goals set forward here. The acquired interdisciplinary skills, which include state-of-the-art nanofabrication and radiofrequency and microwave technology, prepare the trainees for careers in academe, national laboratories, and industry.****TECHNICAL ABSTRACT****:This project will investigate mechanical resonators in the low-temperature, single-phonon quantum regime. The study will focus on a novel type of high quality factor, GHz frequency piezoelectric resonator, which can have an unprecedented quality factor in this frequency band. The quantum mechanical properties of the resonators, especially in the single-phonon regime, will be probed by Josephson junction circuits recently developed for applications to superconducting quantum computation. A resonator coupled to one or more Josephson junctions provides a beautiful solid-state analog to cavity quantum electrodynamics, and this project will explore a variety of quantum optical phenomena with the coherent phonons. The goals of the project are to reveal values for the relaxation time and the coherence time of the resonator, allowing a first connection to the classical quality factor; to demonstrate "quantum refrigeration", removing individual phonons from a resonator with multi-phonon occupation; and to pursue squeezing effects controlled by the Josephson junction qubit. This would comprise the first demonstration of quantum mechanics in a macroscopic mechanical system, and a milestone in quantum physics. The multidisciplinary project integrates research and education in order to train students and postdoctoral researchers in modern methods required to address this key problem in physics, which will be integrated with engineering and nanotechnology to achieve the goals set forward here.

****非技术摘要****：量子力学控制着非常小的原子级系统（如氢原子和电子）的行为。量子力学对较大规模系统的适用性，尤其是具有数百万个或更独立原子的系统的适用性，这是由于需要将感兴趣的系统与周围环境隔离开来的，这是一种消除我们古典经验如此特殊的量子效应的环境。迄今为止，尚未在大型系统中清楚地证明量子效应，肯定不是在大型机械系统中。该项目将着重于构建小型机械谐振器，类似于用于计算机电路时的石英晶体，与世界其他地区充分断开了连接，以允许以明确的方式显示量子效应。特别是，将详细探讨振动能的量子性质，预计将以步骤而不是连续的方式改变。多学科项目集成了研究和教育，以培训学生和博士后研究人员的现代方法，以解决该物理学的这一关键问题，该方法将与工程和纳米技术集成在一起，以实现此处设定的目标。获得的跨学科技能，包括最先进的纳米型和射频和微波技术，为学术界，国家实验室和行业的职业学员做好准备。该研究将集中于一种新型的高质量因子，GHz频率压电谐振器，该谐振器可以在该频带中具有前所未有的质量因子。谐振器的量子机械性能，尤其是在单次调子方案中，将由最近开发用于用于超导量子计算的应用的约瑟夫森连接电路进行探测。耦合到一个或多个约瑟夫森连接的谐振器为腔量子电动力学提供了美丽的固态类似物，该项目将与相干声子一起探索各种量子光学现象。该项目的目标是揭示放松时间和谐振器的连贯时间的价值，从而与经典质量因子建立了首次联系；为了展示“量子制冷”，从具有多声占用的谐振器中删除单个声子；并追求由约瑟夫森连接量子队控制的挤压效果。这将包括宏观力学系统中量子力学的首次演示，以及量子物理学中的里程碑。多学科项目集成了研究和教育，以培训学生和博士后研究人员的现代方法，以解决该物理学的这一关键问题，该方法将与工程和纳米技术集成在一起，以实现此处设定的目标。