Exploring Nonclassical States of Center-of-Mass Mechanical Motion with Superconducting Magneto- and Levitomechanics
The EU Project «Exploring non-classical states of center-of-mass mechanical motion with superconducting magneto- and levitomechanics» (SuperMEQ) addresses three basic science goals in quantum technologies, targeting to gain new insights into quantum control over the center-of-mass motion of mechanical resonators: (i) We will push to the limits of decoherence mechanisms of massive objects, (ii) we will maximize the vacuum coupling of the center-of-mass motion of a mechanical resonator to a quantum system, and (iii) we will generate useful nonclassical states such as squeezed states or states with a negative Wigner function, which have direct relevance for quantum-enhanced force and inertial sensing.
Within the EU project SuperMeQ, WMI collaborates with partners from Chalmers University of Technology, the University of Vienna, the University of Innsbruck, the Austrian Academy of Sciences, the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, and the Universitat Autonòma de Barcelona as well as the industry partner Infineon. Our project follows a unique approach by realizing two complementary experimental platforms that are tailored to our goals and that are mutually beneficial through parallel development: (a) magnetically levitated superconducting microparticles that access a mass regime spanning more than seven orders of magnitude between picogram and sub-milligram masses, and that are expected to exhibit ultra-low mechanical decoherence, and (b) integrated clamped magnetic or superconducting mechanical resonators that are expected to reach strong vacuum coupling rates, two orders of magnitude larger than the state-of-the-art. Key in each of these approaches is that we will couple both types of mechanical resonator inductively to superconducting quantum circuits, which allow for full quantum control over the center-of-mass degree of freedom of the mechanical resonators. Our project results will lead to a breakthrough in the development and growth of novel quantum sensing technologies and give new insights into foundational aspects of quantum physics.
The WMI contributes to this project the following areas: (i) pushing optomechanics to the strong single photon coupling regime, (ii) the development of superconducting quantum circuits for the readout of massive objects, and (iii) the generation of non-classical states for sensing. The established nano-electromechanical systems based on nano-strings developed within the WMI in combination with the inductive readout technique developed at WMI provide an exquisite starting position for the successful realization of the goals of SuperMEQ. In addition, the long-standing and established know-how of the institute in areas such as low-temperature technology and vibration isolation techniques contribute further to those key challenges.
