Abstract
Ground-state cooling of mechanical motion by coupling to a driven optical cavity has been demonstrated in various optomechanical systems. In our work, we provide a so far missing thermodynamic performance analysis of optomechanical sideband cooling in terms of a heat valve. As performance quantifiers, we examine not only the lowest reachable effective temperature (phonon number) but also the evacuated-heat flow as an equivalent to the cooling power of a standard refrigerator, as well as appropriate thermodynamic efficiencies, which all can be experimentally inferred from measurements of the cavity output light field. Importantly, in addition to the standard optomechanical setup fed by coherent light, we investigate two recent alternative setups for achieving ground-state cooling: replacing the coherent laser drive by squeezed light or using a cavity with a frequency-dependent (Fano) mirror. We study the dynamics of these setups within and beyond the weak-coupling limit and give concrete examples based on parameters of existing experimental systems. By applying our thermodynamic framework, we gain detailed insights into these three different optomechanical cooling setups, allowing a comprehensive understanding of the thermodynamic mechanisms at play.
Highlights
Nano- and micromechanical resonators constitute an excellent platform for exploring thermodynamics on the nanoscale [1,2,3]
A detailed analysis of the desired output, such as the reduction in phonon number, related to the thermodynamic cost of optomechanical cooling with nonthermal light sources in the steady-state has so far been missing. We present this missing analysis of the thermodynamic performance of different optomechanical sideband cooling schemes, which is of crucial relevance to optimize the performance of future devices
We provide and calculate appropriate cooling efficiencies of optomechanical sideband cooling, which account for the cost of the heat valve and which yield an additional benchmark in optomechanics, besides the resonator’s phonon occupation
Summary
Nano- and micromechanical resonators constitute an excellent platform for exploring thermodynamics on the nanoscale [1,2,3]. Stochastic and quantum fluctuations can play a major role determining nanomechanical motion [4,5], enabling tests of stochastic [1] and quantum thermodynamics concepts [6] in experiments. In this respect, optomechanical systems [7] are a pertinent platform as they allow for precise control over the classical and quantum dynamics of nanomechanical motion by using electromagnetic fields. In the context of optomechanics, cooling is employed to reduce the entropy of eigenmodes of the mechanical resonator, which is a necessary step for exerting quantum control over mechanical motion and, a crucial requirement for the implementation of any optomechanics-based quantum
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
