2012/10/31 by Alex Szorkovszky, George A. Brawley, Andrew C. Doherty +1
Engineering · Mathematics · Physics and Astronomy · #Advanced MEMS and NEMS Technologies #Cantilever #Classical mechanics #Coherent states #Computer science #Control (management) #Control theory (sociology) #Force Microscopy Techniques and Applications #Laser #Limit (mathematics) #Materials science #Mathematical analysis #Mathematics #Mechanical and Optical Resonators #Mechanical system #Nonlinear system #Optical parametric oscillator #Optics #Parametric oscillator #Parametric statistics #Physics #Position (finance) #Quadrature (astronomy) #Quantum #Quantum limit #Quantum mechanics #Squeezed coherent state #cond-mat.mes-hall #cond-mat.stat-mech #physics.optics #quant-ph
paper · pdf · doi:10.1103/physrevlett.110.184301
published as Phys. Rev. Lett. 110, 184301 (2013) · 6 pages, 5 figures including supplementary info
arxiv created 2013/01/25 · openalex publication_date 2013/05/02 · arxiv updated 2013/05/08 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/05
We experimentally surpass the 3 dB limit to steady-state parametric squeezing of a mechanical oscillator. The localization of an atomic force microscope cantilever, achieved by optimal estimation, is enhanced by up to 6.2 dB in one position quadrature when a detuned parametric drive is used. This squeezing is, in principle, limited only by the oscillator Q factor. Used on low temperature, high frequency oscillators, this technique provides a pathway to achieve robust quantum squeezing below the zero-point motion. Broadly, our results demonstrate that control systems engineering can overcome well established limits in applications of nonlinear processes. Conversely, by localizing the mechanical position to better than the measurement precision of our apparatus, they demonstrate the usefulness of mechanical nonlinearities in control applications.