Next-generation ultralow-noise mechanical sensors defined and controlled by light

由光定义和控制的下一代超低噪声机械传感器

• 批准号: RGPIN-2018-05635
• 负责人: Sankey(Childress), Jack
• 金额: $ 2.99万
• 依托单位: McGill University
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Discovery Grants Program - Individual
• 财政年份: 2020
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2020-01-01 至 2021-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=711716
• 关键词: Next; generation; ultralow; noise; mechanical

Mechanical technologies are everywhere in society, from oscillators in timekeeping devices to accelerometers and electronic filters in automobiles and cell phones. They also represent an indispensable tool for fundamental and applied science: using tiny mechanical systems, it is possible to "feel around" surfaces at the atomic scale, detect chemical mass changes with single-proton resolution, and sense element-specific magnetic "tugs" from nanoscale clusters of nuclei (even creating a 3d map). In the field of optomechanics, we have learned to exploit the forces exerted by light to gain an unprecedented level of control over these systems at all size scales, leading to entirely new functionalities for next-generation sensors, including those in which the laws of quantum mechanics play a central role. Our research aims to realise ultralow-noise micromechanical sensors that are reconfigured and controlled by light in unique ways. To this end, we fabricate delicate "micro-trampolines" exhibiting a world-record combination of force sensitivity and optical performance, such that the radiation force from an average of just one photon -- the smallest quantity of light allowed by nature -- will exert a profound influence over their mechanical trajectories. Here we propose to capitalise upon this breakthrough to demonstrate strong single-photon control, access quantum states of motion, and generate quantum "squeezed" light useful for enhancing interferometers (such as those used to detect gravitational waves). Additionally, by partially levitating related mechanical elements, we will even further enhance their sensitivities by essentially replacing their primary mechanical supports with light (a low-noise alternative to flexible materials). Finally, we will pursue a qualitatively new system in which light strongly controls the spatial distribution of oscillating mass: by optically perturbing a periodic structure ("phononic crystal"), we can smoothly tune the spatial extent of oscillating mass from the centimetre scale to the micron scale in situ -- a level of control that is currently unheard of. Furthermore, due to a collective enhancement effect, a larger device is predicted to exhibit a larger response to a given quantity of light (despite its larger mass) enabling a truly macroscopic response to single-photon light levels in a chip-scale device. In addition to creating new types of reconfigurable mechanical sensing technologies, these complementary efforts build toward fundamental studies of quantum motion at the macro scale, mechanical transduction of quantum information between a variety of "quantum bit" ("qubit") technologies and light (e.g., for long-distance quantum-secured communication), and the detection of zeptonewton forces (equivalent to the gravitational pull between two loaves of bread separated by 100 km).

机械技术在社会中无处不在，从计时设备的振荡器到汽车和手机中的加速度计和电子过滤器。它们还代表了基本和应用科学的必不可少的工具：使用微小的机械系统，可以在原子量表上“围绕”表面“感觉到”表面，通过单蛋白分辨率检测化学质量变化，并从单蛋白的分辨率上检测到来自noclei纳米级的纳米级插入物中的感官元素特异性磁性“ TUGS”（甚至创建3D映射）。在光学机械领域，我们学会了利用光线发挥的力，以在所有尺寸尺度下对这些系统的前所未有的控制水平，从而导致下一代传感器的全新功能，包括量子力学定律起着核心作用的作用。 我们的研究旨在实现超噪声微机械传感器，这些传感器以独特的方式被光重新配置和控制。为此，我们制造了精致的“微晶状体”，表现出世界纪录的力敏感性和光学性能的组合，因此平均只有一个光子的辐射力（自然允许的最小光数量）将对其机械轨迹产生深远的影响。在这里，我们建议利用这一突破，以证明强烈的单光子控制，访问量子的运动状态，并产生量子“挤压”光，可用于增强干涉仪（例如用于检测引力波的量子）。此外，通过部分悬浮相关的机械元件，我们将通过基本上用光（一种低噪声替代柔性材料替代其主要的机械支撑）来进一步增强其敏感性。最后，我们将追求一个定性的新系统，在该系统中，光强烈控制振荡质量的空间分布：通过光学扰动周期性结构（“ Phononic Crystal”），我们可以平稳地调节从厘米尺度到微米尺度到微米尺度到现场的振荡质量的空间范围 - 目前毫无疑问的控制。此外，由于集体增强效应，预计较大的设备将对给定数量的光（尽管质量较大）表现出更大的响应，从而在芯片尺度设备中对单光子照明水平产生真正的宏观响应。除了创建新型的可重新配置机械感应技术外，这些互补的努力还旨在基本研究宏观尺度上的量子运动，在各种“量子位”（“ Qubit”）技术和光线之间的量子信息之间的机械转导（例如，在长距离量子上固定的交流）（等于Zept of Zeptonewton）（等于Zeptement of Zeptonewton）（等于Zept septement of Zeptonewton）（例如，乘以100公里）。