Multiple membrane cavity optomechanics

TL;DR

This paper explores the theoretical extension of cavity optomechanics to systems with multiple membranes, enabling individual mode control and potential quantum applications.

Contribution

It introduces a model for multiple membrane cavity optomechanics and demonstrates how collective modes can be individually addressed and manipulated.

Findings

Collective normal modes can be optically addressed and cooled.

The system allows for quantum nondemolition measurements.

Analogies suggest applications in quantum information processing.

Abstract

We investigate theoretically the extension of cavity optomechanics to multiple membrane systems. We describe such a system in terms of the coupling of the collective normal modes of the membrane array to the light fields. We show these modes can be optically addressed individually and be cooled, trapped and characterized, e.g. via quantum nondemolition measurements. Analogies between this system and a linear chain of trapped ions or dipolar molecules imply the possibility of related applications in the quantum regime.