A route to observing ponderomotive entanglement with optically trapped mirrors

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates that optically trapped mirrors interacting with laser beams can generate entanglement between light fields and within the opto-mechanical system, even with gram-scale masses at room temperature.

Contribution

It introduces a method to observe ponderomotive entanglement using optically trapped mirrors, expanding the possibilities for macroscopic quantum entanglement.

Findings

Entanglement can be generated between output light fields via a trapped mirror.

Intra-cavity opto-mechanical entanglement is achievable.

Entanglement persists at room temperature with gram-scale masses.

Abstract

The radiation pressure of two detuned laser beams can create a stable trap for a suspended cavity mirror; here it is shown that such a configuration entangles the output light fields via interaction with the mirror. Intra-cavity, the opto-mechanical system can become entangled also. The degree of entanglement is quantified spectrally using the logarithmic negativity. Entanglement survives in the experimentally accessible regime of gram-scale masses subject to thermal noise at room temperature.