Enhanced Laser Cooling of a Mechanical Resonator via Zero-Photon Detection
Throughout quantum science and technology, measurement is used as a powerful resource for nonlinear operations and quantum state engineering. In particular, single-photon detection is commonly employed for quantum-information applications and tests of fundamental physics. By contrast, and perhaps counterintuitively, measurement of the absence of photons also provides useful information, and offers significant potential for a wide range of new experimental directions. Here, we propose and experimentally demonstrate cooling of a mechanical resonator below its laser-cooled mechanical occupation via zero-photon detection on the anti-Stokes scattered optical field and verify this cooling through heterodyne measurements. Our measurements are well captured by a stochastic master equation and the techniques introduced here open new avenues for cooling, quantum thermodynamics, quantum state engineering, and quantum measurement and control.
Authors
- Almut Beige (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7230-4220)
- Michael R. Vanner (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9816-5994)
- Kyle D. Major (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3268-6946)
- Jinglei Zhang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3100-7921)
- Andreas Ø. Svela (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3534-3324)
- Jack Clarke (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8055-449X)
- Georg Enzian (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2603-2874)
- Magdalena Szczykulska (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5820-7093)
- Harsh Rathee (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0006-7762-8543)
- Evan A. Cryer-Jenkins (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2549-0280)
- Anthony C. Leung (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9420-292X)
- Arjun K. Gupta (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4573-2937)
- A. Tan (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1324-4376)
- Klaus Mølmer (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2372-869X)
Institutions
- University of Copenhagen (DK)
- University of Leeds (GB)
- University of Waterloo (CA)
- University of Oxford (GB)
- Imperial College London (GB)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Physical Review Letters
- Published
- 2025-02-18
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevlett.134.073601
- Citations
- 1
- Primary Topic
- Mechanical and Optical Resonators
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 1.25
Funders
- UK Research and Innovation
- Royal Society
- Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council
- Science and Technology Facilities Council