Quantum Optomechanics in a Levitated 4He Drop
Helium drops perform as ideal models in several physics and chemistry questions. These drops offer numerous advantages such as high purity, large energy band gap and zero viscosity. We proposed to use magnetically levitated 4He drop in vacuum to study optomechanical systems. The surface mode , which vibrates as a series of spherical harmonic functions, serves as a multimode mechanical system, coupled to high-quality optical whispering gallery modes on the drop equator. Leveraging all the superfluid drop properties lead to a device approaching the single-photon strong-coupling regime. As a result, high finesse and low stiffness will increase the mass of objects exhibiting Gaussian quantum effects by order of 2 or 3. This will make it possible to lower the mean phonon number nm of a mode simply by stiffening it via the optical spring. Furthermore, free rotational motion can be coupled to this optomechanical system, which provides an avenue to explore quantum rotational effects in an unprecedentedly massive object.
AREA Exam - Advisor: Jack Harris