Creating atom-nanoparticle quantum superpositions

TL;DR

This paper proposes a novel scheme to create and detect quantum superpositions in a nanoparticle's center-of-mass using an atom-nanoparticle coupled system, enabling nonclassical states without ground-state cooling.

Contribution

It introduces a new method to generate and verify nonclassical motional states of nanoparticles via atom coupling, bypassing the need for cooling to the ground state.

Findings

Protocol for preparing Schrödinger-cat states of nanoparticles.

Detection method using Earth's gravity insensitive to common decoherence.

Works for any initial nanoparticle state without ground-state cooling.

Abstract

A nanoscale object evidenced in a non-classical state of its centre of mass will hugely extend the boundaries of quantum mechanics. To obtain a practical scheme for the same, we exploit a hitherto unexplored coupled system: an atom and a nanoparticle coupled by an optical field. We show how to control the center-of-mass of a large $\sim500$nm nanoparticle using the internal state of the atom so as to create, as well as detect, nonclassical motional states of the nanoparticle. Specifically, we consider a setup based on a silica nanoparticle coupled to a Cesium atom and discuss a protocol for preparing and verifying a Schr\"{o}dinger-cat state of the nanoparticle that does no require cooling to the motional ground state. We show that the existence of the superposition can be revealed using the Earth's gravitational field using a method that is insensitive to the most common sources of decoherence and works for any initial state of the nanoparticle.