Cooling mechanical resonators to quantum ground state from room temperature

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates that ground-state cooling of mechanical resonators from room temperature is feasible by optimizing cavity optomechanical parameters, surpassing previous limits in intermediate coupling regimes.

Contribution

It analytically derives the optimal conditions for ground-state cooling in the intermediate coupling regime, revealing the possibility of room-temperature cooling with realistic parameters.

Findings

Cooling surpasses strong and weak coupling limits in intermediate regime

Ground-state cooling achievable at room temperature with high Q-frequency product

Optimal cavity decay rate and coupling strength are identified for minimal phonon number

Abstract

Ground-state cooling of mesoscopic mechanical resonators is a fundamental requirement for test of quantum theory and for implementation of quantum information. We analyze the cavity optomechanical cooling limits in the intermediate coupling regime, where the light-enhanced optomechanical coupling strength is comparable with the cavity decay rate. It is found that in this regime the cooling breaks through the limits in both the strong and weak coupling regimes. The lowest cooling limit is derived analytically at the optimal conditions of cavity decay rate and coupling strength. In essence, cooling to the quantum ground state requires $Q_{\mathrm{m}}>2.4n_{\mathrm{th}% }$, with $Q_{\mathrm{m}}$ being the mechanical quality factor and $n_{\mathrm{th}}$ being the thermal phonon number. Remarkably, ground-state cooling is achievable starting from room temperature, when mechanical $Q$-frequency product $Q_{\mathrm{m}}{\nu>1.5}\times10^{13}$, and both of the cavity decay rate and the coupling strength exceed the thermal decoherence rate. Our study provides a general framework for optimizing the backaction cooling of mesoscopic mechanical resonators.