Erlangen 2018 – scientific programme
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Q: Fachverband Quantenoptik und Photonik
Q 21: Optomechanics I
Q 21.3: Talk
Monday, March 5, 2018, 16:45–17:00, K 0.023
Designing light-mediated interactions between atoms and a mechanical oscillator — •Thomas Karg1, Baptiste Gouraud1, Klemens Hammerer2, and Philipp Treutlein1 — 1Department of Physics, Universität Basel, Klingelbergstrasse 82, 4056 Basel, Switzerland — 2Institute for Theoretical Physics and Institute for Gravitational Physics (Albert Einstein Institute), Leibniz Universität Hannover, Callinstraße 38, 30167 Hannover, Germany
Hybrid systems in which a mechanical oscillator is coupled to atomic spins are promising for quantum control of mechanical motion, quantum sensing and signal transduction as well as the study of non-classicality in macroscopic objects.
In our experiment we use laser light to couple an atomic ensemble to an optomechanical system. In this context we explore interactions mediated by an optical mode to which both systems couple in a cascaded fashion. This approach is versatile because it allows to couple spatially separated systems in a variety of different schemes making use of light as a quantum resource. Moreover it is of fundamental interest to explore the limits as to whether light can effectively act like a spring, mediating Hamiltonian interaction between distant oscillators.
We will report on both experimental and theoretical work towards the implementation of such a quantum interface between a collective atomic spin and a membrane inside a cryogenic optical cavity. We address the challenges of reaching the quantum regime in this hybrid system and present a unified theory of light-mediated interactions.