Micro-optomechanics

Friday 19/02/2010 14:30

This talk will be entitled “Micromechanical resonators” and be given by Markus Aspelmeyer from University of Vienna.

For our next colloquium, on Friday 12th February, we’re delighted that Markus Aspelmeyer of the University of Vienna will talk about ‘Quantum-Opto-Mechanics: quantum-optical control of nano- and micro-mechanical systems’. This colloquium will be of particular interest to those in the quantum/nano/photonics areas, and undergraduates will, as always, be most welcome.

Nano- and micromechanical resonators are about to become a new paradigm system for quantum science. They combine features that allow unique approaches in both quantum foundations and quantum applications. For example, their flexibility to couple to a variety of physical systems (photons, electrons, atoms etc.) together with their on-chip integrability promises novel transducer schemes for quantum information processing. At the same time, their mass and size allows access to a hitherto untested parameter regime of macroscopic quantum physics such as quantum superposition states involving objects that are visible to the bare eye.

Quantum optics provides a well-developed toolbox to enter and control the quantum regime of mechanical systems. Prof Aspelmeyer will briefly highlight the recent developments of the field and report the current status in his Vienna experiments on laser cooling micromechanical resonators towards their quantum ground state and on strong optomechanical coupling to achieve coherent quantum control. He will also discuss recent progress towards generating optomechanical quantum entanglement, which is at the heart of Schrödinger’s cat paradox.

This will be at 2.30pm in the seminar room, Tea and cakes afterwards. Programme online.

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