Nanomechanical test of quantum linearity

TL;DR

This paper proposes using high-frequency nanomechanical resonators in a quantum optomechanical system to test wavefunction collapse theories, overcoming previous experimental limitations and aiming to identify the physical origin of collapse.

Contribution

It introduces a novel experimental scheme combining phonon counting and noise mitigation to test quantum collapse models at high frequencies.

Findings

Potential to resolve small phonon fluxes for collapse tests

Mitigation of technical noise in quantum optomechanics

Capability to identify physical origins of wavefunction collapse

Abstract

Spontaneous wavefunction collapse theories provide the possibility to resolve the measurement problem of quantum mechanics. However, the best experimental tests have been limited by thermal fluctuations and have operated at frequencies far below those conjectured to allow the physical origins of collapse to be identified. Here we propose to use high-frequency nanomechanical resonators to surpass these limitations. We consider a specific implementation that uses a quantum optomechanical system cooled to near its motional ground state. The scheme combines phonon counting with efficient mitigation of technical noise, including non-linear photon conversion and photon coincidence counting. It is capable of resolving the exquisitely small phonon fluxes required for a conclusive test of collapse models as well as potentially identifying their physical origin.