Nonclassical mechanical states in an optomechanical micromaser analog

P. D. Nation

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

41 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Here we show that quantum states of a mechanical oscillator can be generated in an optomechanical analog of the micromaser in the absence of any atomlike subsystem, thus exhibiting single-atom masing effects in a system composed solely of oscillator components. In the regime where the single-photon coupling strength is on the order of the cavity decay rate, a cavity mode with at most a single-excitation present gives rise to sub-Poissonian oscillator limit-cycles that generate quantum features in the steady state just above the renormalized cavity resonance frequency and mechanical sidebands. The merger of multiple stable limit-cycles markedly reduces these nonclassical signatures. Varying the cavity-resonator coupling strength, corresponding to the micromaser pump parameter, reveals transitions for the oscillator phonon number that are the hallmark of a micromaser. The connection to the micromaser allows for a physical understanding of how nonclassical states arise in this system and how best to maximize these signatures for experimental observation.

Original languageEnglish
Article number053828
JournalPhysical Review A - Atomic, Molecular, and Optical Physics
Volume88
Issue number5
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2013 Nov 19

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Atomic and Molecular Physics, and Optics

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