Simon Gröblacher, California Institute of Technology
Abstract
Full coherent quantum control of a massive, macroscopic object has been a long outstanding goal in physics. In recent years, great experimental and theoretical effort has led to a number of demonstrations of a viable route towards this goal. In particular, mechanical oscillators coupled via the radiation-pressure force to an optical cavity mode have emerged as promising candidates. The radiation-pressure force allows to cool the mechanical degree of freedom into its ground-state of motion, a regime where thermal effects masking mechanical quantum behavior become negligible. In fact, only very recently the ground-state of an optomechanical system has been experimentally prepared. In addition, the optomechanical interaction allows for strongly coupling the optical and the mechanical systems, which will, in combination with a ground-state cooled oscillator, allow for the preparation and control of mechanical quantum states, using the toolbox of quantum optics.