Towards thermal noise free optomechanics
Abstract
Thermal noise generally greatly exceeds quantum noise in optomechanical devices unless the mechanical frequency is very high or the thermodynamic temperature is very low. This paper addresses the design concept for a novel optomechanical device capable of ultrahigh quality factors in the audio frequency band with negligible thermal noise. The proposed system consists of a minimally supported millimeter scale pendulum mounted in a double end-mirror sloshing cavity that is topologically equivalent to a membrane-in-the-middle cavity. The radiation pressure inside the high-finesse cavity allows for high optical stiffness, cancellation of terms which lead to unwanted negative damping and suppression of quantum radiation pressure noise. We solve the optical spring dynamics of the system using the Hamiltonian, find the noise spectral density and show that stable optical trapping is possible. We also assess various loss mechanisms, one of the most important being the acceleration loss due to the optical spring. We show that practical devices, starting from a centre-of-mass pendulum frequency of 0.1 Hz, could achieve a maximum quality factor of (10^(14)) with optical spring stiffened frequency 1–10 kHz. Small resonators of mass 1 (µ)g or less could achieve a Q-factor of (10^(11)) at a frequency of 100 kHz. Applications for such devices include white light cavities for improvement of gravitational wave detectors, or sensors able to operate near the quantum limit.
Additional Information
© 2016 IOP Publishing Ltd. Received 16 May 2016, revised 16 August 2016. Accepted for publication 5 September 2016. Published 17 October 2016. We wish to thank the Optics Working Group of LIGO Scientific Collaboration for advice, and Dr Giles Hammond for useful discussions. University of Western Australia research was supported by the Australian Research Council (Grants No. DP120104676 and No. DP120100898). Authors Pan and Chao were supported by the Ministry of Science and Technologies of Taiwan, Republic of China (MOST 103-2221-E-007-064-MY3). Author Mitrofanov was supported by the Russian Foundation for Basic Research (14-02-00399). Author Sadeghian was supported by the Enabling Technology Program (ETP) Optomechatronics and Early Research Program (ERP) 3D Nanomanufacturing at TNO.Attached Files
Submitted - 1602.03621.pdf
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Additional details
- Eprint ID
- 71154
- Resolver ID
- CaltechAUTHORS:20161017-103122356
- DP120104676
- Australian Research Council
- DP120100898
- Australian Research Council
- 103-2221-E-007-064-MY3
- Ministry of Science and Technology (Taipei)
- 14-02-00399
- Russian Foundation for Basic Research
- Nederlandse Organisatie voor Toegepast Natuurwetenschappelijk Onderzoek (TNO)
- Created
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2016-10-17Created from EPrint's datestamp field
- Updated
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2022-07-12Created from EPrint's last_modified field