On sensitivity limitations of a dichromatic optical detection of a classical mechanical force

TL;DR

This paper investigates the classical and quantum limitations of a dichromatic optical detection method for measuring a classical force on a mechanical resonator, highlighting the impact of quantum back action and system instability.

Contribution

It analyzes the sensitivity limits of back action evading measurements using a dichromatic optical pump in a Fabry Perot cavity, revealing fundamental constraints due to system instability.

Findings

Quantum back action cannot be fully eliminated due to dynamic instability.

System instability imposes limits on optical pump power.

Asymmetry in pump configuration affects quantum nondemolition measurement.

Abstract

We apply the strategy of the back action evading measurement of a quadrature component of mechanical motion of a test mass to detection of a classical force acting on the mass (Science, 209, (1980) 547) and study both classical and quantum limitations of the technique. We are considering a resonant displacement transducer interrogated with a dichromatic optical pump as a model system in this study. The transducer is represented by a Fabry Perot cavity with a totally reflecting movable end mirror the resonant force of interest acts upon. The cavity is pumped with two coherent optical carriers equally detuned from one of the cavity resonances. We show that the quantum back action cannot be completely excluded from the measurement result due to the dynamic instability of the opto-mechanical system that either limits the allowable power of the optical pump or calls for introducing an asymmetry to the pump configuration destroying the quantum nondemolition nature of the measurement.