Optical Interferometric Readout of a Magnetically Levitated Superconducting Microsphere

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates optical interferometric measurement and feedback cooling of a magnetically levitated superconducting microsphere at cryogenic temperatures, highlighting its potential for quantum physics experiments with isolated microgram-scale masses.

Contribution

It introduces a novel platform combining magnetic levitation and optical interferometry for high-resolution motion measurement and cooling of a superconducting microsphere.

Findings

Achieved sub-nanometer resolution in motion detection.

Successfully feedback-cooled the microsphere's motion.

Identified technical noise sources limiting measurement precision.

Abstract

We probe the motion of a 6 $\mu g$ magnetically levitated superconducting microsphere using optical interferometry at 3 K, achieving a resolution better than 1 $nm/ \sqrt{Hz}$, and use the measured signal to feedback-cool its motion. The resolution exceeds the shot-noise limit of 11 $pm/ \sqrt{Hz}$ primarily due to technical noise arising from the roughness of the particle. Combined with established techniques of cavity optomechanics, the high degree of isolation from environmental noise afforded by this platform provides a path to quantum physics experiments with cryogenic isolated masses at the microgram scale.