Feedback-induced heating and cooling of a levitated nanoparticle

An optically levitated nanoparticle in an environment of variable gas pressure is used to study stochastic processes over large parameter ranges. Feedback control is employed to exert both conservative and non-conservative forces. Additional control is provided via parametric modulation, giving rise to frequency pulling, amplification, and switching. In this article, we discuss stability criteria and show that the nanoparticle's steady-state energy can be controlled over a range of nine orders of magnitude.