Jack Harris
Yale University, New Haven, USA
Date
19 November 2008
Title
Coupling MEMS to Photons: a new Approach to Macroscopic Quantum Phenomena
Abstract
Radiation pressure provides a coupling between the electromagnetic field and the center-of-mass motion of macroscopic objects. This coupling offers a promising route towards observing quantum phenomena on surprisingly large scales. Experimental progress on this topic has been extremely rapid and the field now stands at the edge of the quantum regime. I will describe a new type of opto-mechanical system that seems to resolve a number of the remaining technical and fundamental challenges. This system has already demonstrated laser cooling from room temperature to 7 mK, and allows us to realize a "position-squared" measurement, which is a key requirement for observing quantum jumps of a mechanical oscillator.