Photon-phonon-photon transfer in optomechanics

Area of Science:

• Quantum optics
• Optomechanics
• Quantum information science

Background:

• Optomechanical systems enable macroscopic quantum state manipulation.
• Transferring quantum states to mechanical modes is crucial for quantum technologies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the transfer of a highly nonclassical quantum state into a mechanical mode.
• To analyze the nonclassicality and quantum properties of the transferred state.

Main Methods:

• Sequential upload, storage, and readout protocol for quantum states.
• Utilizing a single-photon Fock state as the input quantum state.
• Analyzing the Wigner function to confirm nonclassicality.

Main Results:

• The recovered quantum state in the mechanical mode exhibits negative Wigner function values, indicating nonclassicality.
• The transferred state is proven to be quantum non-Gaussian for a wide range of parameters.
• Current electromechanical and optomechanical experiments can validate this single-photon transfer protocol.

Conclusions:

• Successful transfer of a nonclassical quantum state to a macroscopic mechanical mode is demonstrated.
• The protocol preserves and reveals quantum non-Gaussianity, a key feature of nonclassical states.
• Experimental verification of this quantum state transfer is feasible with existing technology.