Quantum and classical control of single photon states via a mechanical resonator

TL;DR

This paper introduces a scheme for controlling single photon states using a mechanical resonator as a quantum-controlled beam splitter, enabling new quantum interference effects and potential weak-force sensing applications.

Contribution

It proposes a novel method for quantum control of light via mechanical resonators, bridging quantum and classical regimes in optomechanical systems.

Findings

Mechanical resonator can entangle optical and mechanical states.

Interference visibility is sensitive to mechanical excitations.

The scheme enables optically transduced weak-force sensing.

Abstract

Optomechanical systems typically use light to control the quantum state of a mechanical resonator. In this paper, we propose a scheme for controlling the quantum state of light using the mechanical degree of freedom as a controlled beam splitter. Preparing the mechanical resonator in non-classical states enables an optomechanical Stern-Gerlach interferometer. When the mechanical resonator has a small coherent amplitude it acts as a quantum control, entangling the optical and mechanical degrees of freedom. As the coherent amplitude of the resonator increases, we recover single photon and two-photon interference via a classically controlled beam splitter. The visibility of the two-photon interference is particularly sensitive to coherent excitations in the mechanical resonator and this could form the basis of an optically transduced weak-force sensor.