We are exploring methods for coupling the internal states of a single atom to the motion of a mechanical resonator. We would then use the internal states of a single atom trapped in an optical tweezer to create nonclassical states of motion. On the practical level, we will fabricate soft-clamped mechanical resonators with extremely high quality factors and create an optomechanical system by coupling them to a photonic crystal defect cavity on the same chip. We will also build a cold atoms experiment capable of trapping single atoms in optical tweezers in a cryostat. The ultimate goal is to put the two systems together in a cryogenic, ultrahigh-vacuum environment, where the mechanical resonators will have a long coherence time. This intensive experimental effort is the main focus of our team!
Suspended mechanical resonators of silicon nitride are excellent sensors for small forces and exhibit the highest mechanical quality factors of any mechanical resonator at room temperature. Functionalization with nanomagnets on these mechanical resonators makes them sensitive to fluctuating magnetic fields, which would make them state-of-the-art spin sensors. By coupling two high-Q mechanical resonators and creating a coupled mode system, we can also engineer two high-Q modes with a small frequency splitting. This provides access to beneficial readout schemes in magnetic resonance force microscopy.
