Entanglement-enhanced optomechanical sensing

Journal Article · Thu Apr 20 00:00:00 EDT 2023 · Nature Photon.

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41566-023-01178-0· OSTI ID:1915415

Xia, Yi ^[1]; Agrawal, Aman R. ^[2]; Pluchar, Christian M. ^[2]; Brady, Anthony J. ^[3]; Liu, Zhen ^[4]; Zhuang, Quntao ^[5]; Wilson, Dalziel J. ^[2]; Zhang, Zheshen ^[6]

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1. Arizona U., Optical Sci. Ctr.; Arizona U.
2. Arizona U., Optical Sci. Ctr.
3. Arizona U.
4. Minnesota U.
5. Arizona U.; Arizona U., Optical Sci. Ctr.; Southern California U.
6. Arizona U.; Arizona U., Optical Sci. Ctr.; U. Michigan, Ann Arbor

Optomechanical systems have been exploited in ultrasensitive measurements of force, acceleration and magnetic fields. The fundamental limits for optomechanical sensing have been extensively studied and now well understood—the intrinsic uncertainties of the bosonic optical and mechanical modes, together with backaction noise arising from interactions between the two, dictate the standard quantum limit. Advanced techniques based on non-classical probes, in situ ponderomotive squeezed light and backaction-evading measurements have been developed to overcome the standard quantum limit for individual optomechanical sensors. An alternative, conceptually simpler approach to enhance optomechanical sensing rests on joint measurements taken by multiple sensors. In this configuration, a pathway to overcome the fundamental limits in joint measurements has not been explored. Here we demonstrate that joint force measurements taken with entangled probes on multiple optomechanical sensors can improve the bandwidth in the thermal-noise-dominant regime or the sensitivity in the shot-noise-dominant regime. Moreover, we quantify the overall performance of entangled probes with the sensitivity–bandwidth product and observe a 25% increase compared with that of classical probes. The demonstrated entanglement-enhanced optomechanical sensors would enable new capabilities for inertial navigation, acoustic imaging and searches for new physics.

• Research Organization: Minnesota U.; Arizona U.; U. Michigan, Ann Arbor; Arizona U., Optical Sci. Ctr.; Southern California U.
• Sponsoring Organization: US Department of Energy
• DOE Contract Number: AC02-07CH11359
• OSTI ID: 1915415
• Report Number(s): FERMILAB-PUB-22-848-SQMS-V; oai:inspirehep.net:2173137; arXiv:2210.16180
• Journal Information: Nature Photon., Journal Name: Nature Photon. Journal Issue: 6 Vol. 17
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English