Nonlinearity and nonclassicality in a nanomechanical resonator

TL;DR

This paper investigates how the nonlinearity of a nanomechanical resonator, modeled as a Duffing oscillator, correlates with the nonclassicality of its ground state, demonstrating that increased nonlinearity enhances nonclassical features.

Contribution

It provides a quantitative analysis linking nonlinearity to nonclassicality in a nanomechanical resonator, highlighting nonlinearity as a resource for generating nonclassical states.

Findings

Nonlinearity increases the nonclassicality of the ground state.

The volume of the negative Wigner function correlates with nonlinearity.

Results are consistent across different driving regimes.

Abstract

We address quantitatively the relationship between the nonlinearity of a mechanical resonator and the nonclassicality of its ground state. In particular, we analyze the nonclassical properties of the nonlinear Duffing oscillator (being driven or not) as a paradigmatic example of a nonlinear nanomechanical resonator. We first discuss how to quantify the nonlinearity of this system and then show that the nonclassicality of the ground state, as measured by the volume occupied by the negative part of the Wigner function, monotonically increases with the nonlinearity in all the working regimes addressed in our study. Our results show quantitatively that nonlinearity is a resource to create nonclassical states in mechanical systems.