Optomechanics of Levitated Dielectric Particles

TL;DR

This review discusses the state-of-the-art in optomechanics of levitated dielectric particles, highlighting their high quality factors, tunable oscillations, and potential for quantum experiments and sensitive force detection.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive overview of recent advances in optical trapping, cooling techniques, and applications of dielectric particles in macroscopic quantum mechanics and precision measurements.

Findings

High mechanical quality factors achieved in vacuum trapping

Real-time tuning of oscillation frequencies via laser power

Potential for macroscopic quantum state creation and force sensing

Abstract

We review recent works on optomechanics of optically trapped microspheres and nanoparticles in vacuum, which provide an ideal system for studying macroscopic quantum mechanics and ultrasensitive force detection. An optically trapped particle in vacuum has an ultrahigh mechanical quality factor as it is well-isolated from the thermal environment. Its oscillation frequency can be tuned in real time by changing the power of the trapping laser. Furthermore, an optically trapped particle in vacuum may rotate freely, a unique property that does not exist in clamped mechanical oscillators. In this review, we will introduce the current status of optical trapping of dielectric particles in air and vacuum, Brownian motion of an optically trapped particle at room temperature, Feedback cooling and cavity cooling of the Brownian motion. We will also discuss about using optically trapped dielectric particles for studying macroscopic quantum mechanics and ultrasensitive force detection. Applications range from creating macroscopic Schr{\"{o}}dinger's cat state, testing objective collapse models of quantum wavefunctions, measuring Casimir force, searching short-range non-Newtonian gravity, to detecting gravitational waves.