Phonon counting and intensity interferometry of a nanomechanical resonator

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates phonon counting and intensity interferometry on a nanomechanical resonator, revealing phonon correlations across different regimes and discussing implications for phonon lasers and measurement sensitivity.

Contribution

It introduces a novel phonon counting technique combined with intensity interferometry to study nanomechanical resonators, including analysis of phonon correlations near parametric instability.

Findings

Phonon correlations vary across the threshold of self-oscillation.

Effective phonon counting is achieved using optical detection and single photon measurements.

Insights into phonon laser behavior and measurement sensitivity are provided.

Abstract

Using an optical probe along with single photon detection we have performed effective phonon counting measurements of the acoustic emission and absorption processes in a nanomechanical resonator. Applying these measurements in a Hanbury Brown and Twiss set-up, phonon correlations of the nanomechanical resonator are explored from below to above threshold of a parametric instability leading to self-oscillation of the resonator. Discussion of the results in terms of a "phonon laser", and analysis of the sensitivity of the phonon counting technique are presented.