Optomechanics studies the coupling between light and mechanical oscillators. It is a burgeoning research field at the interface of optics, mesoscopic condensed matter physics, and mechanical micro/nano systems 1. In a way analog to Doppler laser cooling of atoms 2, mechanical oscillators can today be optically cooled to ultra-low temperatures where their quantum behavior is revealed despite their macroscopic mass scale 3. This regime opens a new area of quantum physics research: how does a macroscopic mechanical oscillator loose its quantum coherence to become classical? Can we generate and use non-classical states of mechanical motion? What are the limits of performance of a nanomechanical sensor operated in this quantum regime?
In our team, we combine nanomechanical oscillators with on-chip integrated optics architectures, in order to develop optical/mechanical resonators that could operate at their quantum limit of sensitivity. Our optomechanical oscillators are miniature GaAs semiconductor disks with ultra-low dissipation (see picture) 4. They have a mass of a few picograms typical for nanomechanical systems, high mechanical frequency in the few GHz range, and they can confine photons in whispering gallery cavities of high optical quality factor (Q=5.10^5). In these resonators, both optical and mechanical energy are stored together in a sub-micron interaction volume, giving rise to an ultimate optomechanical coupling strength. As consequence, these miniature optomechanical disks are approaching the quantum regime and naturally lend themselves to the devolvement of quantum sensors. Being compliant with the insertion of single quantum photon emitters (Quantum Dots), they also lead to hybrid situations where such emitter interacts both with a mechanical oscillator and with photons stored in a cavity 5. Using these assets, the perspective of our research is to explore a novel playground at the crossroads of quantum nanophotonics and optomechanics; in view of implementing (quantum) forces sensing protocols on a semiconductor chip. The team is currently looking for post-doctoral candidates to join this research line.
1 Favero, Karrai. Nat. Phot. 3, 201 (2009). Aspelmeyer, Kippenberg, Marquardt. arXiv:1303.0733 (2013).
2 Karrai, Favero, Metzger. Phys. Rev. Lett. 100, 240801 (2008).
3 Chan et al. Nature 478, 89–92 (2011). Teufel et al. Nature 475, 359–363 (2011).
4 Ding et al. PRL 105, 263903 (2010). Ding et al. APL 98, 113108 (2011). Baker et al APL 99, 151117 (2011). Parrain et al. APL 100, 242105 (2012). Nguyen et al. APL 103, 241112 (2013).
5 Restrepo, Ciuti, Favero, Phys. Rev. Lett. 112, 013601 (2014).
MPQ laboratories are an interdisciplinary physics research unit of the University Paris Diderot and French CNRS, and are located in Paris downtown area.
Employed techniques: nano-optics/nanomechanics/clean-room/semiconductors/quantum optics
PostDoctoral positions are open for 2014 within the European Research Council (ERC) project GANOMS.
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