Heralded quantum non-Gaussian states in pulsed levitating optomechanics

TL;DR

This paper proposes a method to generate and verify quantum non-Gaussian states in levitated optomechanical systems using pulsed interactions and photon detection, with applications in sensing and fundamental physics.

Contribution

It introduces a novel approach combining pulsed optomechanics and photon detection to prepare and confirm quantum non-Gaussian states in a single mechanical mode.

Findings

Predicted conditions for multi-phonon addition processes.

Demonstrated potential for quantum sensing of displacements.

Outlined applications in quantum thermodynamics and macroscopic quantum effects.

Abstract

Optomechanics with levitated nanoparticles is a promising way to combine very different types of quantum non-Gaussian aspects induced by continuous dynamics in a nonlinear or time-varying potential with the ones coming from discrete quantum elements in dynamics or measurement. First, it is necessary to prepare quantum non-Gaussian states using both methods. The nonlinear and time-varying potentials have been widely analyzed for this purpose. However, feasible preparation of provably quantum non-Gaussian states in a single mechanical mode using discrete photon detection has not been proposed yet for optical levitation. We explore pulsed optomechanical interactions combined with non-linear photon detection techniques to approach mechanical Fock states and confirm their quantum non-Gaussianity. We also predict the conditions under which the optomechanical interaction can induce multiple-phonon addition processes, which are relevant for $n$-phonon quantum non-Gaussianity. The practical applicability of quantum non-Gaussian states for sensing phase-randomized displacements is shown. Besides such applications, generating quantum non-Gaussian states of levitated nanoparticles can help to study fundamental questions of quantum thermodynamics, and macroscopic quantum effects.