Dresden 2011 – scientific programme

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Q: Fachverband Quantenoptik und Photonik

Q 15: Poster 1: Quanteninformation, Quanteneffekte, Laserentwicklung, Laseranwendungen, Ultrakurze Pulse, Photonik

Q 15.35: Poster

Monday, March 14, 2011, 16:30–19:30, P1

A table-top demonstration of radiation pressure — •Dilek Demir, Garrett D. Cole, and Markus Aspelmeyer — Fakultät Physik, Universität Wien, Boltzmanngasse 5, A-1090 Wien, AUSTRIA

The observation of the momentum transfer of light, i.e. radiation pressure, goes back to the seminal experiments by Lebedew and by Nichols and Hull in the early 20th century. Up to now, all experimental demonstrations of this effect rely on a well-shielded experimental environment that is operated in vacuum. In this presentation we describe a simple table-top experiment that illustrates the momentum transfer between light and a suspended mechanical mirror under ambient conditions. Our work is enabled by the development of millimeter-sized cantilevers of high reflectivity (> 99.98%), very low spring constant (< 0.001 N/m) and very low levels of optical absorption (< 100 ppm). Using these devices in an optical lever arrangement we unambiguously demonstrate radiation pressure effects while operating in air, at room temperature and with only modest(< 10 mW) laser power.