Entanglement-Enhanced Optomechanical Sensing

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates that using entangled probes in joint optomechanical sensors can surpass classical limits, enhancing sensitivity and bandwidth, and opening new possibilities in precision measurement fields.

Contribution

It introduces a novel entanglement-based approach for joint optomechanical sensing that improves performance beyond classical methods, especially in thermal and shot-noise regimes.

Findings

Achieved a 25% increase in sensitivity-bandwidth product with entangled probes.

Demonstrated enhanced bandwidth and sensitivity in thermal-noise and shot-noise regimes.

Proposed potential applications in navigation, imaging, and fundamental physics searches.

Abstract

Optomechanical systems have been exploited in ultrasensitive measurements of force, acceleration, and magnetic fields. The fundamental limits for optomechanical sensing have been extensively studied and now well understood -- the intrinsic uncertainties of the bosonic optical and mechanical modes, together with the backaction noise arising from the interactions between the two, dictate the Standard Quantum Limit (SQL). Advanced techniques based on nonclassical probes, in-situ pondermotive squeezed light, and backaction-evading measurements have been developed to overcome the SQL for individual optomechanical sensors. An alternative, conceptually simpler approach to enhance optomechanical sensing rests upon joint measurements taken by multiple sensors. In this configuration, a pathway toward overcoming the fundamental limits in joint measurements has not been explored. Here, we demonstrate that joint force measurements taken with entangled probes on multiple optomechanical sensors can improve the bandwidth in the thermal-noise-dominant regime or the sensitivity in shot-noise-dominant regime. Moreover, we quantify the overall performance of entangled probes with the sensitivity-bandwidth product and observe a 25% increase compared to that of the classical probes. The demonstrated entanglement-enhanced optomechanical sensing could enable new capabilities for inertial navigation, acoustic imaging, and searches for new physics.