“Closing the loop on optomechanical measurements”
Lasers enable sensing and control with enough precision for physics experiments like gravitational wave observatories, and enough robustness for consumer applications like cell phones. In experimental optomechanics, lasers can cause even macroscopic objects to behave quantum mechanically. I will describe why the quality factor, Q, of the damped harmonic oscillator is a critical parameter for sensing. Viewing the sensor as a feedback loop, we can understand how a system’s finite Q affects the two fundamental kinds of noise in optomechanics, quantum noise and thermal noise. We may also explore some examples of how quantum sensors can be designed to amplify signal while rejecting noise. This is intended as an introductory talk, and no background in optomechanics or quantum optics is assumed.
Host: Iris Ponce