The photon shuttle: Landau-Zener-Stueckelberg dynamics in an optomechanical system

TL;DR

This paper explores non-equilibrium photon dynamics in an optomechanical system, demonstrating Landau-Zener-Stueckelberg and Rabi-like phenomena driven by mechanical motion in a membrane-cavity setup.

Contribution

It introduces a novel approach to study photon dynamics in optomechanics, revealing Landau-Zener-Stueckelberg effects and Autler-Townes splitting in a membrane-based cavity system.

Findings

Observation of Autler-Townes splitting indicating Rabi dynamics.

Prediction of Landau-Zener-Stueckelberg oscillations at high drive.

Potential for experimental exploration of quantum-classical boundary phenomena.

Abstract

The motion of micro- and nanomechanical resonators can be coupled to electromagnetic fields. Such optomechanical setups allow one to explore the interaction of light and matter in a new regime at the boundary between quantum and classical physics. We propose an approach to investigate non-equilibrium photon dynamics driven by mechanical motion in a recently developed setup with a membrane between two mirrors, where photons can be shuttled between the two halves of the cavity. For modest driving strength we predict the possibility to observe an Autler-Townes splitting indicative of Rabi dynamics. For large drive, we show that this system displays Landau-Zener-Stueckelberg dynamics originally known from atomic two-state systems.