Mechanical squeezing in a cavity optomechanical system with the Coulomb interaction and an optical parametric amplifier

Area of Science:

• Quantum optics
• Cavity optomechanics
• Condensed matter physics

Background:

• Cavity optomechanics enables precise control of mechanical resonators using light.
• Generating quantum states like squeezing is crucial for fundamental tests and applications.
• Coulomb interactions and optical parametric amplification (OPA) offer novel pathways for manipulating mechanical resonators.

Purpose of the Study:

• To theoretically propose a scheme for generating steady-state position-quadrature squeezing of a mechanical resonator.
• To investigate the role of Coulomb interaction and OPA in achieving enhanced squeezing.
• To explore the robustness of the proposed squeezing scheme against system parameters.

Main Methods:

• Theoretical modeling of a single cavity optomechanical system.
• Incorporation of Coulomb interaction and an optical parametric amplifier (OPA).
• Analysis of steady-state squeezing through a cooperative process of cavity cooling and mechanical parametric amplification (MPA).

Main Results:

• Achieved steady-state position-quadrature squeezing significantly beyond 3 dB.
• Demonstrated squeezing beyond the conventional 'bad cavity' limit.
• Showcased strong robustness of squeezing against the cavity decay rate.

Conclusions:

• The proposed scheme effectively generates substantial mechanical squeezing via Coulomb-induced MPA and cavity cooling.
• The method overcomes limitations of the 'bad cavity' regime and is robust to cavity decay.
• The scheme's independence from good cavity conditions, measurements, and feedback makes it experimentally feasible.