Team

Optomechanics and Quantum Measurements

Scientific activity

The Optomechanics and Quantum Measurements team studies the quantum effects of radiation pressure and entanglement by optomechanical coupling between light and micro- or nano-mechanical resonators. Beyond understanding quantum limits in optical measurements, these studies have implications for ultrasensitive devices such as gravitational antennas, for manipulating the quantum state of macroscopic mechanical resonators, and for developing innovative quantum technologies.

The team’s current research themes are :

• Nanomechanical quantum memory by direct coupling of a membrane to a fluxonium qubit
• Compressed light to beat quantum limits in interferometric measurements in general, and Advanced Virgo in particular
• Primary thermometry using an optomechanical resonator in the quantum regime.

© Samuel Deleglise, 2020.

Figure: Example of an optomechanical device used by the team to produce non-Gaussian states of a massive mechanical resonator, consisting of a suspended membrane with a phononic crystal enabling very high mechanical quality factors to be achieved.