Coupling nanomechanical cantilevers to dipolar molecules

TL;DR

This paper explores how nanomechanical cantilevers can be coupled with dipolar molecules to achieve quantum control, including squeezing of molecular motion, opening new avenues for quantum memory and nanoscale quantum manipulation.

Contribution

It presents a theoretical analysis demonstrating the potential of nanomechanical cantilevers to induce quantum squeezing in molecular systems, a novel approach in quantum control of dipolar molecules.

Findings

Cantilever can produce single-mode squeezing of molecular motion

Can generate two-mode squeezing of phonons in molecular arrays

Suggests potential for quantum memory and nanoscale quantum control

Abstract

We investigate the coupling of a nanomechanical oscillator in the quantum regime with molecular (electric) dipoles. We find theoretically that the cantilever can produce single-mode squeezing of the center-of-mass motion of an isolated trapped molecule and two-mode squeezing of the phonons of an array of molecules. This work opens up the possibility of manipulating dipolar crystals, which have been recently proposed as quantum memory, and more generally, is indicative of the promise of nanoscale cantilevers for the quantum detection and control of atomic and molecular systems.