Measurement of the motional heating of a levitated nanoparticle by thermal light

TL;DR

This study measures how thermal light causes motional heating in levitated silica nanoparticles, revealing photon recoil as the dominant heating mechanism compared to laser levitation.

Contribution

It provides the first quantitative analysis of photon-induced heating in thermally illuminated levitated nanoparticles, highlighting the significance of thermal photon recoil.

Findings

Photon recoil dominates heating rates over laser-induced heating.

Heating rates depend on gas pressure and particle size.

Thermal light causes measurable motional heating in levitated nanoparticles.

Abstract

We report on measurements of photon induced heating of silica nanospheres levitated in vacuum by a thermal light source formed by a superluminescent diode. Heating of the nanospheres motion along the three trap axes was measured as a function of gas pressure and for two particle sizes. Heating rates were also compared with the much lower reheating of the same sphere when levitated by a laser. We find the measured trap heating rates are dominated by the much larger heating rates expected from the recoil of thermal photons.