Cooling in a parametrically driven optomechanical cavity

TL;DR

This paper develops a master equation for a driven optomechanical cavity with an improved dissipation model, demonstrating potential for enhanced laser cooling and lower mechanical temperatures through frequency control.

Contribution

It introduces a more accurate dissipation model for parametrically driven optomechanical systems using Floquet theory, enabling better predictions of cooling performance.

Findings

Number of excitations can be reduced below non-driven case

Analytical expression for mechanical excitations derived

Potential for achieving lower temperatures via frequency control

Abstract

We obtain a master equation for a parametrically driven optomechanical cavity. We use a more correct dissipation model that accounts for the modification of the quasienergy spectrum caused by the driving. When the natural frequency of the mechanical object oscillates periodically around its mean value, the master equation with the improved dissipation model is expressed using Floquet operators. We apply the corresponding master equation to model the laser cooling of the mechanical object. Using an adiabatic approximation, an analytical expression for the number of excitations of the mechanical oscillator can be obtained. We find that the number of excitations can be lower than in the non-time-dependent case. Our results raise the possibility of achieving lower temperatures for the mechanical object if its natural frequency can be controlled as a function of time