Southwest Quantum Information and Technology

Optically measuring and coupling quantum systems in a cavity

Dan Stamper-Kurn, University of California, Berkeley

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Cavity quantum electrodynamics generally lets one direct the interactions between polarizable objects and light, increasing the relevance of a single optical mode. As such, optical cavities improve our ability to extract information about a quantum object through its interaction with light, and also our ability to cause quantum objects to interact with one another remotely by exchanging photons. I will discuss studies of cavity optomechanics using gases of ultracold atoms trapped within a high finesse Fabry-Perot resonator. Cavity-based measurement allows us to detect forces as the standard quantum limit, a long-time goal for optomechanical systems. We also demonstrate coherent coupling between distinct mechanical objects, mediated by cavity photons, and also characterize the simultaneous influence of measurement on this interaction.