Interaction of Mechanical Oscillators Mediated by the Exchange of Virtual Photon Pairs

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates that vacuum fluctuations can mediate coherent energy exchange between two mechanical oscillators via virtual photon pairs, enabling new optomechanical quantum technologies.

Contribution

It introduces a novel mechanism where vacuum-induced motional forces couple distant mechanical oscillators through virtual photon pairs.

Findings

Noticeable coupling rates between oscillators due to vacuum forces

Resonant energy exchange at the quantum level

System can act as a mechanical parametric down-converter

Abstract

Two close parallel mirrors attract due to a small force (Casimir effect) originating from the electromagnetic quantum vacuum uctuations of the electromagnetic field. These vacuum uctuations can also induce motional forces exerted upon one mirror when the other one moves. Here we consider an optomechanical system consisting of two vibrating mirrors coupled to an optical resonator. We find that motional forces can determine noticeable coupling rates between the two spatially separated vibrating mirrors. We show that, by tuning the two mechanical oscillators into resonance, energy is exchanged between them at the quantum level. This coherent motional coupling is enabled by the exchange of virtual photon pairs, originating from the dynamical Casimir effect. The process proposed here shows that the electromagnetic quantum vacuum is able to transfer mechanical energy somewhat like an ordinary uid. We show that this system can also operate as a mechanical parametric down-converter even at very weak excitations. These results demonstrate that vacuuminduced motional forces open up new possibilities for the development of optomechanical quantum technologies.