Mechanically Mediated Microwave Frequency Conversion in the Quantum Regime

2015/11/30 by F. Lecocq, Florent Lecocq, J. B. Clark +5 · 5 citations
Computer Science · Engineering · Physics and Astronomy · #Atomic physics #Beam splitter #Energy conversion efficiency #Laser #Mechanical and Optical Resonators #Microwave #Noise (video) #Optics #Optoelectronics #Photon #Photonic and Optical Devices #Physics #Quantum #Quantum Information and Cryptography #Quantum mechanics #Quantum optics #Resonator #quant-ph

paper · pdf · doi:10.1103/physrevlett.116.043601

published as Phys. Rev. Lett. 116, 043601 (2016)

arxiv created 2015/11/30 · openalex publication_date 2016/01/26 · arxiv updated 2016/01/28 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/05

Abstract

We report the observation of efficient and low-noise frequency conversion between two microwave modes, mediated by the motion of a mechanical resonator subjected to radiation pressure. We achieve coherent conversion of more than 10¹² photons/s with a 95% efficiency and a 14 kHz bandwidth. With less than 10^-1 photons·s^-1·Hz^-1 of added noise, this optomechanical frequency converter is suitable for quantum state transduction. We show the ability to operate this converter as a tunable beam splitter, with direct applications for photon routing and communication through complex quantum networks.

Citations

• Sideband cooling of micromechanical motion to the quantum ground state
• Low-loss superconducting resonant circuits using vacuum-gap-based microwave components
• Nanomechanical coupling between microwave and optical photons
• Cavity quantum electrodynamics for superconducting electrical circuits: An architecture for quantum computation
• Proposal for an optomechanical traveling wave phonon–photon translator
• Quantum-coherent coupling of a mechanical oscillator to an optical cavity mode
• Introduction to quantum noise, measurement, and amplification
• Cavity Optomechanics

Cited by

• Nonreciprocal Phonon Laser
• Nonreciprocal reconfigurable microwave optomechanical circuit
• Faithful conversion of propagating quantum information to mechanical motion
• Demonstration of Efficient Nonreciprocity in a Microwave Optomechanical Circuit
• Nonreciprocal single-photon frequency converter via multiple semi-infinite coupled-resonator waveguides