Abstract
Through simultaneous but unequal electromechanical amplification and cooling processes, we create a method for a nearly noiseless pulsed measurement of mechanical motion. We use transient electromechanical amplification (TEA) to monitor a single motional quadrature with a total added noise relative to the zero-point motion of the oscillator, or equivalently the quantum limit for simultaneous measurement of both mechanical quadratures. We demonstrate that TEA can be used to resolve fine structure in the phase space of a mechanical oscillator by tomographically reconstructing the density matrix of a squeezed state of motion. Without any inference or subtraction of noise, we directly observe a squeezed variance below the oscillator’s zero-point motion.
- Received 2 August 2019
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.123.183603
© 2019 American Physical Society
Physics Subject Headings (PhySH)
Synopsis
A “Quiet” Measurement of a Quantum Drum
Published 30 October 2019
A new technique allows for more precise measurements of a quantum oscillator’s time-varying displacement, with potential applications in quantum information.
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