Fluctuation-induced decoherence and Brownian motion of levitated nanoparticles

Optically levitated nanoparticles are ideal experimental testbeds for investigating macroscopic superpositions and microscopic thermodynamics. Integrating such levitated nanoparticles with photonic structures, e.g. optical cavities and waveguides, can enable enhanced control and manipulation of their motion, as well as long-ranged interactions between multiple particles via guided photonic modes. When coupling a particle to a photonic structure, such as a waveguide, the effects of fluctuations become prominent at nanoscales. In this talk, I will discuss fluctuation-induced phenomena -- forces, Brownian motion and decoherence -- on a polarizable particle coupled to a nanophotonic structure.