Non-Gaussian Mechanical Motion via Single and Multiphonon Subtraction from a Thermal State.
- Resource Type
- Article
- Authors
- Enzian, G.; Freisem, L.; Price, J. J.; Svela, A. Ø.; Clarke, J.; Shajilal, B.; Janousek, J.; Buchler, B. C.; Lam, P. K.; Vanner, M. R.
- Source
- Physical Review Letters. 12/10/2021, Vol. 127 Issue 24, p1-1. 1p.
- Subject
- *PHOTON counting
*OPTICAL measurements
*WIGNER distribution
*HETERODYNE detection
*QUANTUM measurement
*MECHANICAL engineering
*OPTICAL parametric oscillators
*SINGLE photon generation
- Language
- ISSN
- 0031-9007
Quantum optical measurement techniques offer a rich avenue for quantum control of mechanical oscillators via cavity optomechanics. In particular, a powerful yet little explored combination utilizes optical measurements to perform heralded non-Gaussian mechanical state preparation followed by tomography to determine the mechanical phase-space distribution. Here, we experimentally perform heralded single-phonon and multiphonon subtraction via photon counting to a laser-cooled mechanical thermal state with a Brillouin optomechanical system at room temperature and use optical heterodyne detection to measure the s-parametrized Wigner distribution of the non-Gaussian mechanical states generated. The techniques developed here advance the state of the art for optics-based tomography of mechanical states and will be useful for a broad range of applied and fundamental studies that utilize mechanical quantum-state engineering and tomography. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]