Observing and Verifying the Quantum Trajectory of a Mechanical Resonator

Massimiliano Rossi; David Mason; Junxin Chen; Albert Schliesser

doi:10.1103/PhysRevLett.123.163601

Observing and Verifying the Quantum Trajectory of a Mechanical Resonator

Massimiliano Rossi, David Mason, Junxin Chen, Albert Schliesser

Quantop

15 Citations (Scopus)

12 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

Continuous weak measurement allows localizing open quantum systems in state space and tracing out their quantum trajectory as they evolve in time. Efficient quantum measurement schemes have previously enabled recording quantum trajectories of microwave photon and qubit states. We apply these concepts to a macroscopic mechanical resonator, and we follow the quantum trajectory of its motional state conditioned on a continuous optical measurement record. Starting with a thermal mixture, we eventually obtain coherent states of 78% purity - comparable to a displaced thermal state of occupation 0.14. We introduce a retrodictive measurement protocol to directly verify state purity along the trajectory, and we furthermore observe state collapse and decoherence. This opens the door to measurement-based creation of advanced quantum states, as well as potential tests of gravitational decoherence models.

Original language	English
Article number	163601
Journal	Physical Review Letters
Volume	123
Issue number	16
Number of pages	6
ISSN	0031-9007
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.123.163601
Publication status	Published - 14 Oct 2019

Access to Document

10.1103/PhysRevLett.123.163601

PhysRevLett.123.163601Final published version, 456 KBLicence: CC BY

Cite this

@article{db034f499dd24b68b208f4625db84f23,

title = "Observing and Verifying the Quantum Trajectory of a Mechanical Resonator",

abstract = "Continuous weak measurement allows localizing open quantum systems in state space and tracing out their quantum trajectory as they evolve in time. Efficient quantum measurement schemes have previously enabled recording quantum trajectories of microwave photon and qubit states. We apply these concepts to a macroscopic mechanical resonator, and we follow the quantum trajectory of its motional state conditioned on a continuous optical measurement record. Starting with a thermal mixture, we eventually obtain coherent states of 78% purity - comparable to a displaced thermal state of occupation 0.14. We introduce a retrodictive measurement protocol to directly verify state purity along the trajectory, and we furthermore observe state collapse and decoherence. This opens the door to measurement-based creation of advanced quantum states, as well as potential tests of gravitational decoherence models.",

author = "Massimiliano Rossi and David Mason and Junxin Chen and Albert Schliesser",

year = "2019",

month = oct,

day = "14",

doi = "10.1103/PhysRevLett.123.163601",

language = "English",

volume = "123",

journal = "Physical Review Letters",

issn = "0031-9007",

publisher = "American Physical Society",

number = "16",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Observing and Verifying the Quantum Trajectory of a Mechanical Resonator

AU - Rossi, Massimiliano

AU - Mason, David

AU - Chen, Junxin

AU - Schliesser, Albert

PY - 2019/10/14

Y1 - 2019/10/14

N2 - Continuous weak measurement allows localizing open quantum systems in state space and tracing out their quantum trajectory as they evolve in time. Efficient quantum measurement schemes have previously enabled recording quantum trajectories of microwave photon and qubit states. We apply these concepts to a macroscopic mechanical resonator, and we follow the quantum trajectory of its motional state conditioned on a continuous optical measurement record. Starting with a thermal mixture, we eventually obtain coherent states of 78% purity - comparable to a displaced thermal state of occupation 0.14. We introduce a retrodictive measurement protocol to directly verify state purity along the trajectory, and we furthermore observe state collapse and decoherence. This opens the door to measurement-based creation of advanced quantum states, as well as potential tests of gravitational decoherence models.

AB - Continuous weak measurement allows localizing open quantum systems in state space and tracing out their quantum trajectory as they evolve in time. Efficient quantum measurement schemes have previously enabled recording quantum trajectories of microwave photon and qubit states. We apply these concepts to a macroscopic mechanical resonator, and we follow the quantum trajectory of its motional state conditioned on a continuous optical measurement record. Starting with a thermal mixture, we eventually obtain coherent states of 78% purity - comparable to a displaced thermal state of occupation 0.14. We introduce a retrodictive measurement protocol to directly verify state purity along the trajectory, and we furthermore observe state collapse and decoherence. This opens the door to measurement-based creation of advanced quantum states, as well as potential tests of gravitational decoherence models.

U2 - 10.1103/PhysRevLett.123.163601

DO - 10.1103/PhysRevLett.123.163601

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 31702359

SN - 0031-9007

VL - 123

JO - Physical Review Letters

JF - Physical Review Letters

IS - 16

M1 - 163601

ER -

Observing and Verifying the Quantum Trajectory of a Mechanical Resonator

Abstract

Access to Document

Fingerprint

Cite this