Dr Michael R. Vanner (Imperial College London)

Backward Brillouin scattering in whispering-gallery-mode micro-resonators offers an exciting avenue to pursue both classical and quantum optomechanics applications. Our team—the Quantum Measurement Lab—together with our collaborators, are currently exploring and utilizing the favourable properties this approach affords for non-Gaussian motional state preparation of the acoustic field. In particular, the high mechanical frequencies, mechanical mode selectivity, and low optical absorption provide a promising route to overcome current hindrances within optomechanics. Three of our recent results in this area include: the observation of Brillouin optomechanical strong coupling [1], single-phonon addition and subtraction to a thermal state of the acoustic field [2], and advancing the state-of-the-art of mechanical state tomography to observe the non-Gaussian states generated by single- and multi-phonon subtraction [3]. This talk will cover these three results, what they enable, and the broader direction of our lab including the prospects of this platform to explore the foundations of physics and the development of a telecommunications-compatible quantum memory.

Web: www.qmeas.net

[1] G. Enzian etal Optica 6, 7 (2019).
[2] G. Enzian etal Phys. Rev. Lett. 126, 033601 (2021).
[3] G. Enzian*, L. Freisem*, J. J. Price*, A. Ø. Svela* etal Phys. Rev. Lett. 127, 243601 (2021).