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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Apr 27, 2026

Fabrication and Testing of Photonic Thermometers

Fabrication and Testing of Photonic Thermometers

Published on: October 24, 2018

Thermal Noise Measurement below the Standard Quantum Limit.

Ronald Pagano¹, Scott Aronson¹, Torrey Cullen²

¹Louisiana State University, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, 70803, USA.

Physical Review Letters

|April 25, 2026

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

We developed a new method to measure thermal noise in optical cavities, even below the quantum noise limit. This technique allowed us to achieve new benchmarks in sub-standard quantum limit optomechanical measurements.

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Area of Science:

Optomechanics
Quantum Optics
Materials Science

Background:

Optical cavities are crucial for precision measurements.
Thermal noise and quantum noise are fundamental limits in sensitive measurements.
Previous work achieved sub-standard quantum limit (SQL) displacement sensitivity using an optical spring.

Purpose of the Study:

To present a novel method for characterizing thermal noise in optical cavities, independent of quantum noise.
To measure thermal noise below the quantum noise limit.
To investigate quantum noise suppression using an optical spring effect.

Main Methods:

Utilized a GaAs/AlGaAs micromirror on a GaAs cantilever microresonator in a Fabry-Pérot cavity at cryogenic temperatures (∼25 K).
Employed an optical spring within the cavity to influence measurement sensitivity.
Measured thermal noise contributions and quantum noise suppression below the standard quantum limit (SQL).

Main Results:

Measured thermal noise falling up to 5 dB below the SQL.
Observed quantum noise suppression up to 10 dB below the SQL due to the optical spring effect.
Established a new benchmark for sub-SQL optomechanical measurements.

Conclusions:

The developed method successfully characterizes thermal noise independently of quantum noise, even below the quantum noise limit.
The optical spring effect significantly suppresses quantum noise, enabling unprecedented sub-SQL performance.
This work advances the field of high-precision optomechanics and quantum measurement.