Descripción del proyecto
Oscilaciones de nanocables para detectar las interacciones de partícula única
Las oscilaciones mecánicas son fluctuaciones periódicas en la posición de un objeto a través de su centro de equilibrio. Un ejemplo clásico es una masa que pende de un muelle. Las características de las oscilaciones junto con las propiedades conocidas del propio oscilador permiten obtener información sobre la fuerza responsable de las oscilaciones. Los osciladores mecánicos nanométricos tienen aplicaciones importantes como sensores. En estudios recientes se ha logrado una sensibilidad sin precedentes a temperatura ambiente y la capacidad de detectar interacciones electrón-electrón utilizando nanocables semiconductores y lectura óptica. Gracias a la financiación con fondos europeos del proyecto Atto-Zepto, los científicos responsables de esa proeza la están aplicando a numerosos fenómenos. Luego la insertarán en una microcavidad óptica para permitir la detección de fotones individuales y el estudio de los efectos cuánticos de la luz y la materia.
Objetivo
By enabling the conversion of forces into measurable displacements, mechanical oscillators have always played a central role in experimental physics. Recent developments in the PI group demonstrated the possibility to realize ultrasensitive and vectorial force field sensing by using suspended SiC nanowires and optical readout of their transverse vibrations. Astonishing sensitivities were obtained at room and dilution temperatures, at the Atto- Zepto-newton level, for which the electron-electron interaction becomes detectable at 100µm.
The goal of the project is to push forward those ultrasensitive nano-optomechanical force sensors, to realize even more challenging explorations of novel fundamental interactions at the quantum-classical interface.
We will develop universal advanced sensing protocols to explore the vectorial structure of fundamental optical, electrostatic or magnetic interactions, and investigate Casimir force fields above nanostructured surfaces, in geometries where it was recently predicted to become repulsive. The second research axis is the one of cavity nano-optomechanics: inserting the ultrasensitive nanowire in a high finesse optical microcavity should enhance the light-nanowire interaction up to the point where a single cavity photon can displace the nanowire by more than its zero point quantum fluctuations. We will investigate this so-called ultrastrong optomechanical coupling regime, and further explore novel regimes in cavity optomechanics, where optical non-linearities at the single photon level become accessible. The last part is dedicated to the exploration of hybrid qubit-mechanical systems, in which nanowire vibrations are magnetically coupled to the spin of a single Nitrogen Vacancy defect in diamond. We will focus on the exploration of spin-dependent forces, aiming at mechanically detecting qubit excitations, opening a novel road towards the generation of non-classical states of motion, and mechanically enhanced quantum sensors.
Ámbito científico
- natural sciencesphysical sciencesopticscavity optomechanics
- engineering and technologyelectrical engineering, electronic engineering, information engineeringelectronic engineeringcomputer hardwarequantum computers
- engineering and technologyelectrical engineering, electronic engineering, information engineeringelectronic engineeringsensors
- natural sciencesmathematicspure mathematicsgeometry
- natural sciencesphysical sciencestheoretical physicsparticle physicsphotons
Programa(s)
Régimen de financiación
ERC-COG - Consolidator GrantInstitución de acogida
75794 Paris
Francia