Event Details

Optomechanics with hybrid nanotube resonators

In twenty years, cavity optomechanics has established as a rapidly advancing research field aiming at developing macroscopic systems operating in the quantum regime. Important progress has been achieved in this direction, such as laser cooling of a macroscopic mechanical resonator in its groundstate, the demonstration of the quantum backaction in an interferometric measurement and more recently the first evidence of quantum optomechanical entanglement.

Here I will present our novel approach based on hybrid carbon nanotube resonators, consisting of single-clamp suspended carbon nanotube at the tip of which a nano-optical scatterer is grown. Sensitive optomechanical detection is demonstrated and dynamical backaction analysed. The force sensitivity is calibrated at the sub-attonewton level at room temperature for the first time, representing a two orders of magnitude improvement compared to previous report. The frequency noise dynamics will also be analysed, showing the detailed mechanism through which the nonlinear nature of the nanotube is involved. Our work opens the path towards implementing quantum optomechanical technology at room temperature.