Characterizing low-frequency vibratory motion with radio-frequency cavities

Radio-frequency (RF) cavities, previously employed in particle physics, quantum computing, and gravitational wave research, offer unique advantages in terms of sensitivity and non-invasiveness as a method of sensing motion in both macroscopic and microscopic systems. This research aims to address how an RF cavity can effectively detect and characterize the low-frequency vibratory motion of a room-temperature mm-scale levitated particle. In this case, the particle in question is a diamagnetically levitated slab of highly oriented pyrolytic graphite. Cavity-based identification of the slab’s rigid-body modes is substantiated by calculations of the force acting on the particle and validated through slow-motion video object tracking. We find that this system can accurately measure oscillations in all six center-of-mass degrees of freedom. Calculations indicate that this system could potentially detect forces on the scale of tens of femto-Newtons and center of mass displacements of less than 10 nm. This work provides a non-invasive method of conducting position and vibration measurements in the field of levitodynamics without the ultra-cold temperatures or bulky precision laser setups that superconducting quantum interference devices and conventional interferometric methods utilize.