Quantum and Classical Phases in Optomechanics

TL;DR

This paper investigates the quantum and classical phases acquired in optomechanical interactions, identifying quantum effects that can be experimentally distinguished from classical predictions.

Contribution

It isolates genuine quantum contributions in optomechanical phase interactions, providing a framework for experimental verification of quantum effects.

Findings

Classical models can replicate certain nonlinearities and correlation losses.

Quantum contributions can be distinguished from classical effects in current experiments.

The study offers criteria for probing quantum nature in optomechanical systems.

Abstract

The control of quantum systems requires the ability to change and read-out the phase of a system. The non-commutativity of canonical conjugate operators can induce phases on quantum systems, which can be employed for implementing phase gates and for precision measurements. Here we study the phase acquired by a radiation field after its radiation pressure interaction with a mechanical oscillator, and compare the classical and quantum contributions. The classical description can reproduce the nonlinearity induced by the mechanical oscillator and the loss of correlations between mechanics and optical field at certain interaction times. Such features alone are therefore insufficient for probing the quantum nature of the interaction. Our results thus isolate genuine quantum contributions of the optomechanical interaction that could be probed in current experiments.