Cavity Optomechanics of Levitated Nano-Dumbbells: Non-Equilibrium Phases and Self-Assembly

TL;DR

This paper explores the non-equilibrium behavior of levitated nano-dumbbells in optical cavities, revealing friction-induced ordering and phase transitions analogous to liquid crystals, advancing understanding of isolated many-body quantum systems.

Contribution

It introduces a novel study of non-isotropic optical friction effects on composite nano-particles, demonstrating phase transitions and self-assembly in a highly isolated environment.

Findings

Friction induces ordering in nano-dumbbell ensembles.

Observation of nematic phase transitions analogous to liquid crystals.

Identification of non-equilibrium phases in levitated optomechanical systems.

Abstract

Levitated nanospheres in optical cavities open a novel route to study many-body systems out of solution and highly isolated from the environment. We show that properly tuned optical parameters allow for the study of the non-equilibrium dynamics of composite nano-particles with non-isotropic optical friction. We find friction induced ordering and nematic transitions with non-equilibrium analogs to liquid crystal phases for ensembles of dimers.