Kavli Affiliate: Nergis Mavalvala
| First 5 Authors: Benjamin B. Lane, Benjamin B. Lane, , ,
| Summary:
Squeezed mechanical states are a highly coveted resource for quantum-enhanced
sensing and serve as a compelling platform for probing the interplay between
gravity and quantum mechanics. It has been predicted that a mechanical
oscillator can be prepared into a quantum squeezed state if the applied
measurement rate is fast relative to its mechanical resonance frequency.
However, the experimental feasibility of this protocol has remained uncertain
because of the difficulty in achieving low-frequency oscillators with
sufficiently strong read-out. Here, we demonstrate that a careful selection of
parameters in an optomechanical system, combined with optimal filtering
techniques, enables the preparation of a 50 ng GaAs cantilever in a conditional
classical squeezed state, achieving a minimum uncertainty of just 1.07
plus/minus 0.04 times the zero-point fluctuation level. This minimum variance
is 3 orders of magnitude smaller than what has been achieved in previous
experiments using the same protocol. Although we do not fully achieve the
quantum squeezed regime, our demonstration provides definitive evidence that a
measurement-based protocol is a practical and effective approach for the
real-time preparation of macroscopic oscillators in quantum squeezed states.
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