2025/05/03 by Jack A. Clarke, Clarke, Jack, Pascal Neveu +5
Engineering · Physics and Astronomy · #Advanced MEMS and NEMS Technologies #FOS: Physical sciences #Force Microscopy Techniques and Applications #Mechanical and Optical Resonators #Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics (cond-mat.mes-hall) #Optics (physics.optics) #Quantum Physics (quant-ph)
paper · pdf · doi:10.48550/arxiv.2505.01942
openalex publication_date 2025/05/03 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28
Non-Gaussian quantum states of mechanical motion exhibiting Wigner negativity offer promising capabilities for quantum technologies and tests of fundamental physics. Within the field of cavity quantum optomechanics, it is commonly held that deterministic preparation of mechanical Wigner negativity in the unresolved-sideband regime is not possible, as the intracavity interaction Hamiltonian is linear in mechanical position. Here, we show that, despite this, by accounting for the nonlinearity of the cavity response with mechanical position, mechanical Wigner negativity can be prepared deterministically in the unresolved-sideband regime, without additional nonlinearities, nonclassical drives, or conditional measurements. In particular, we find that Wigner negativity can be prepared with an optical pulse, even without single-photon strong coupling, and the negativity persists in the steady state of a continuously driven system. Our results deepen our understanding of cavity-enhanced radiation pressure and establish a pathway for deterministic preparation of nonclassical mechanical states in the unresolved sideband regime.