Engineering error correcting dynamics in nanomechanical systems.

Nanomechanical oscillators are an alternative platform for computation in harsh environments. However, external perturbations arising from such environments may hinder information processing by introducing errors into the computing system. Here, we simulate the dynamics of three coupled Duffing oscillators whose multiple equilibrium states can be used for information processing and storage.

Waveguide-integrated chip-scale optomechanical magnetometer.

Optomechanical magnetometers enable highly sensitive magnetic field sensing. However, all such magnetometers to date have been optically excited and read-out either via free space or a tapered optical fiber. This limits their scalability and integrability, and ultimately their range of applications.

Engineered entropic forces allow ultrastrong dynamical backaction.

When confined within an optical cavity light can exert strong radiation pressure forces. Combined with dynamical backaction, this enables important processes, such as laser cooling, and applications ranging from precision sensors to quantum memories and interfaces. However, the magnitude of radiation pressure forces is constrained by the energy mismatch between photons and phonons.

Precision Magnetometers for Aerospace Applications: A Review.

Aerospace technologies are crucial for modern civilization; space-based infrastructure underpins weather forecasting, communications, terrestrial navigation and logistics, planetary observations, solar monitoring, and other indispensable capabilities. Extraplanetary exploration-including orbital surveys and (more recently) roving, flying, or submersible unmanned vehicles-is also a key scientific and technological frontier, believed by many to be paramount to the long-term survival and prosperity of humanity. All of these aerospace applications require reliable control of the craft and the ability to record high-precision measurements of physical quantities.

Coherent vortex dynamics in a strongly interacting superfluid on a silicon chip.

Quantized vortices are fundamental to the two-dimensional dynamics of superfluids, from quantum turbulence to phase transitions. However, surface effects have prevented direct observations of coherent two-dimensional vortex dynamics in strongly interacting systems. Here, we overcome this challenge by confining a thin film of superfluid helium at microscale on the atomically smooth surface of a silicon chip.

High-frequency cavity optomechanics using bulk acoustic phonons.

To date, microscale and nanoscale optomechanical systems have enabled many proof-of-principle quantum operations through access to high-frequency (gigahertz) phonon modes that are readily cooled to their thermal ground state. However, minuscule amounts of absorbed light produce excessive heating that can jeopardize robust ground-state operation within these microstructures. In contrast, we demonstrate an alternative strategy for accessing high-frequency (13 GHz) phonons within macroscopic systems (centimeter scale) using phase-matched Brillouin interactions between two distinct optical cavity modes.

Quantum enhanced feedback cooling of a mechanical oscillator using nonclassical light.

Laser cooling is a fundamental technique used in primary atomic frequency standards, quantum computers, quantum condensed matter physics and tests of fundamental physics, among other areas. It has been known since the early 1990s that laser cooling can, in principle, be improved by using squeezed light as an electromagnetic reservoir; while quantum feedback control using a squeezed light probe is also predicted to allow improved cooling. Here we show the implementation of quantum feedback control of a micro-mechanical oscillator using squeezed probe light.

Quantum-enhanced micromechanical displacement sensitivity.

We report on a hitherto unexplored application of squeezed light: for quantum-enhancement of mechanical transduction sensitivity in microcavity optomechanics. Using a toroidal silica microcavity, we experimentally demonstrate measurement of the transduced phase modulation signal in the frequency range 4-5.8 MHz with a sensitivity -0.

Cooling and control of a cavity optoelectromechanical system.

We implement a cavity optoelectromechanical system integrating electrical actuation capabilities of nanoelectromechanical devices with ultrasensitive mechanical transduction achieved via intracavity optomechanical coupling. Electrical gradient forces as large as 0.40 microN are realized, with simultaneous mechanical transduction sensitivity of 1.