Strong Optomechanical Coupling at Room Temperature by Coherent Scattering

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates strong optomechanical coupling at room temperature between a levitated silica particle and an optical cavity using coherent scattering, marking a significant step towards quantum control of mesoscopic systems.

Contribution

The study achieves the strong coupling regime at room temperature via coherent scattering, a novel approach in cavity optomechanics.

Findings

Normal mode splitting achieved at room temperature

Coupling strength approaches three times the cavity linewidth

First demonstration of strong coupling with levitated particles at ambient conditions

Abstract

Quantum control of a system requires the manipulation of quantum states faster than any decoherence rate. For mesoscopic systems, this has so far only been reached by few cryogenic systems. An important milestone towards quantum control is the so-called strong coupling regime, which in cavity optomechanics corresponds to an optomechanical coupling strength larger than cavity decay rate and mechanical damping. Here, we demonstrate the strong coupling regime at room temperature between a levitated silica particle and a high finesse optical cavity. Normal mode splitting is achieved by employing coherent scattering, instead of directly driving the cavity. The coupling strength achieved here approaches three times the cavity linewidth, crossing deep into the strong coupling regime. Entering the strong coupling regime is an essential step towards quantum control with mesoscopic objects at room temperature.