Macroscopic Quantum States Research Articles

High-harmonic generation by a bright squeezed vacuum

AbstractHigh-harmonic generation has been driving the development of attosecond science and sources. More recently, high-harmonic generation in solids has been adopted by other communities as a method to study material properties. However, so far high-harmonic generation has only been driven by classical light, despite theoretical proposals to do so with quantum states of light. Here we observe non-perturbative high-harmonic generation in solids driven by a macroscopic quantum state of light, a bright squeezed vacuum, which we generate in a single spatiotemporal mode. The process driven by a bright squeezed vacuum is considerably more efficient in the generation of high harmonics than classical light of the same mean intensity. Due to its broad photon-number distribution, covering states from 0 to 2 × 1013 photons per pulse, and strong subcycle electric field fluctuations, a bright squeezed vacuum gives access to free carrier dynamics within a much broader range of peak intensities than accessible with classical light.

Steady-state magnon entanglement and backaction-evading of a weak magnetic signal via two-tone modulated cavity electromagnonics

Cavity electromagnonics explore the coupling between microwave cavity fields and magnons in micromagnets. This field has emerged as a promising platform for probing fundamental aspects of quantum mechanics and advancing quantum technologies. This paper investigates a scheme involving two-tone frequency modulation to engineer simultaneous magnon-photon two-mode squeezing and beam-splitter-like interactions. We demonstrate that this scheme enables the direct generation of macroscopic magnonic squeezed and entangled states. Moreover, it facilitates ultra-sensitive magnon-based magnetic field sensing through quantum non-demolition (QND) interactions between magnons and photons. The present scheme provides promising opportunities for generating macroscopic nonclassical quantum states in solid magnetic materials and developing spintronics-related quantum devices.

Gain-enhanced suspended optomechanical system with tunable dissipative coupling strength

Active cavity optomechanical system provides an invaluable physical platform for cavity optomechanics research, particularly those involving dissipative coupling, which holds significant potential for advancing the field of quantum physics. In our previous work, an active levitated optomechanical system was established for the first time [Nat. Phys 19, 414 (2023)10.1038/s41567-022-01857-9]. Here we report a gain-enhanced suspended optomechanical system based on the dissipative coupling between the SiN membrane and the intracavity laser. This system has a high dissipative coupling strength which is widely tunable through simple mechanical adjustments. Moreover, the influence of pumping power and the propagation distance of the free-space beam on the maximum effective dissipative coupling strength is comprehensively investigated. Based on the numerical discussion, we propose effective methods to enhance the dissipative coupling experimentally. The active suspended cavity optomechanical system has great potential in realizing the cooling of the membrane to the quantum ground state or heating the membrane to produce phonon lasers, which can be applied to such cutting-edge fields as quantum precision measurements, macroscopic quantum state, and information transmission and processing.

Organic Room-Temperature Polariton Condensate in a Higher-Order Topological Lattice.

Organic molecule exciton-polaritons in photonic lattices are a versatile platform to emulate unconventional phases of matter at ambient temperatures, including protected interface modes in topological insulators. Here, we investigate bosonic condensation in the most prototypical higher-order topological lattice: a 2D-version of the Su-Schrieffer-Heeger model. Under strong optical pumping, we observe bosonic condensation into both 0D and 1D topologically protected modes. The resulting 1D macroscopic quantum state reaches a coherent spatial extent of 10 μm, as evidenced by interferometric measurements of first order coherence. We account for the spatial mode patterns resulting from fluorescent protein-filled, structured microcavities by tight-binding calculations and theoretically characterize the topological invariants of the lattice. Our findings pave the way toward organic on-chip polaritonics using higher-order topology as a tool for the generation of robustly confined polaritonic lasing states.

Quantum Metal‐Organic Frameworks

Quantum materials and metal‐organic framework (MOFs) materials describe two attractive research areas in physics and chemistry. Yet, with very few exceptions, these fields have been developed with little overlap. This review aims to summarize these efforts and outline the huge potential of considering MOFs as quantum materials, called quantum MOFs. Quantum MOFs exhibit macroscopic quantum states over wide energy and lengths scales. Examples are topological materials and superconductors, to name but a few. In contrast to conventional quantum materials, MOFs exhibit promising unconventional degrees of freedom such as buckling, interpenetration, porosity, and rotations, stimulating the design of novel quantum phases of matter.

All-optical temporal logic gates in localized exciton polaritons

Exciton polaritons—quasi-particle excitations consisting of strongly coupled photons and excitons—present fascinating possibilities for photonic circuits, owing to their strong nonlinearity, ultrafast reaction times and their ability to form macroscopic quantum states at room temperature via non-equilibrium condensation. Past implementations of transistors and logic gates with exciton polaritons have been mostly realized using the spatial propagation of polariton fluids, which place high demands on the fabrication of the microcavities and typically require complex manipulations. In this work we have implemented the full set of logical gate functionalities (that is, temporal AND, OR and NOT gates) in localized exciton polaritons at room temperature, on the basis of precisely controlling the interplay between polariton condensate and exciton reservoir dynamics, using a two-pulse excitation scheme. The dynamics intrinsically covers the cascadability required by the logical operations, enabling efficient information processing without the need for spatial flow. The temporal polariton logic gates demonstrate advantages in ultrafast switching, universality and simplified compatibility with other dimensional controls, showing great potential for building polariton logic networks in strongly coupled light–matter systems.

Quadrature Squeezing Enhances Wigner Negativity in a Mechanical Duffing Oscillator

Generating macroscopic nonclassical quantum states is a long-standing challenge in physics. Anharmonic dynamics is an essential ingredient to generate these states, but for large mechanical systems, the effect of the anharmonicity tends to become negligible compared with the effect of decoherence. As a possible solution to this challenge, we propose using a motional squeezed state as a resource to effectively increase the anharmonicity. We analyze the production of negativity in the Wigner distribution of a quantum anharmonic resonator initially in a squeezed state. We find that initial squeezing increases the rate at which negativity is generated. We also analyze the effect of two common sources of decoherence—namely, energy damping and dephasing—and find that the detrimental effects of energy damping are suppressed by strong squeezing. In the limit of large squeezing, which is needed for state-of-the-art systems, we find good approximations for the Wigner function. Our analysis is significant for current experiments attempting to prepare macroscopic mechanical systems in genuine quantum states. We provide an overview of several experimental platforms featuring nonlinear behaviors and low levels of decoherence. In particular, we discuss the feasibility of our proposal with carbon nanotubes and levitated nanoparticles. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

Wigner Analysis of Particle Dynamics and Decoherence in Wide Nonharmonic Potentials

We derive an analytical expression of a Wigner function that approximately describes the time evolution of the one-dimensional motion of a particle in a nonharmonic potential. Our method involves two exact frame transformations, accounting for both the classical dynamics of the centroid of the initial state and the rotation and squeezing about that trajectory. Subsequently, we employ two crucial approximations, namely the constant-angle and linearized-decoherence approximations, upon which our results rely. These approximations are effective in the regime of wide potentials and small fluctuations, namely potentials that enable spatial expansions orders of magnitude larger than the one of the initial state but that remain smaller compared to the relevant dynamical length scale (e.g., the distance between turning points). Our analytical result elucidates the interplay between classical and quantum physics and the impact of decoherence during nonlinear dynamics. This analytical result is instrumental to designing, optimizing, and understanding proposals using nonlinear dynamics to generate macroscopic quantum states of massive particles.

Narrow-linewidth exciton-polariton laser

Exciton-polariton lasers are a promising source of coherent light for low-energy applications due to their low-threshold operation. However, a detailed experimental study of their spectral purity, which directly affects their coherence properties, is still missing. Here, we present a high-resolution spectroscopic investigation of the energy and linewidth of an exciton-polariton laser in the single-mode regime, which derives its coherent emission from an optically pumped and confined exciton-polariton condensate. We report an ultra-narrow linewidth of 56 MHz or 0.24 µeV, corresponding to a coherence time of 5.7 ns. The narrow linewidth is consistently achieved by using an exciton-polariton condensate with a high photonic content confined in an optically induced trap. Contrary to previous studies, we show that the excitonic reservoir created by the pump and responsible for creating the trap does not strongly affect the emission linewidth as long as the condensate is trapped and the pump power is well above the condensation (lasing) threshold. The long coherence time of the exciton-polariton system uncovered here opens up opportunities for manipulating its macroscopic quantum state, which is essential for applications in classical and quantum computing.

Quantum Jamming Brings Quantum Mechanics to Macroscopic Scales

A quantum spin-12 chain with an axial symmetry is normally described by quasiparticles associated with the spins oriented along the axis of rotation. Kinetic constraints can enrich such a description by setting apart different species of quasiparticles, which can get stuck at high enough density, realizing the quantum analog of jamming. We identify a family of interactions satisfying simple kinetic constraints and consider generic translationally invariant models built up from them. We study dynamics following a local unjamming perturbation in a jammed state. We show that they can be mapped into dynamics of ordinary unconstrained systems, but the nonlocality of the mapping changes the scales at which the phenomena manifest themselves. Scattering of quasiparticles, formation of bound states, and eigenstate localization become all visible at macroscopic scales. Depending on whether a symmetry is present or not, the microscopic details of the jammed state turn out to have either a marginal or a strong effect. In the former case or when the initial state is almost homogeneous, we show that even a product state is turned into a macroscopic quantum state. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

Nonreciprocal macroscopic tripartite entanglement in atom-optomagnomechanical system

We investigate how to generate the nonreciprocal macroscopic tripartite entanglement among the atomic ensemble, ferrimagnetic magnon and mechanical oscillator in a hybrid atom-optomagnomechanical system, where an ensemble of two-level atoms and a yttrium iron garnet micro-bridge supporting the magnon and mechanical modes are placed in a spinning optical resonator driven by a laser field. The phonon being the quantum of the mechanical mode interacts with the magnon and the optical photon via magnetostriction and radiation pressure, respectively, and meanwhile the photon couples to the atomic ensemble. The results show that not only all bipartite entanglements but also the genuine tripartite entanglement among the atomic ensemble, magnon and phonon could be generated at the steady state. Moreover, the nonreciprocity of atom-magnon-phonon entanglement can be obtained with the aid of the optical Sagnac effect by spinning the resonator, in which the entanglement is present in a chosen driving direction but disappears in the other direction. The nonreciprocal macroscopic tripartite entanglement is robust against temperature and could be flexibly controlled by choosing the system parameters. Our work enriches the study of macroscopic multipartite quantum states, which may have potential applications in the development of quantum information storage and the construction of multi-node chiral quantum network.

Signature of spin-phonon coupling driven charge density wave in a kagome magnet

The intertwining between spin, charge, and lattice degrees of freedom can give rise to unusual macroscopic quantum states, including high-temperature superconductivity and quantum anomalous Hall effects. Recently, a charge density wave (CDW) has been observed in the kagome antiferromagnet FeGe, indicative of possible intertwining physics. An outstanding question is that whether magnetic correlation is fundamental for the spontaneous spatial symmetry breaking orders. Here, utilizing elastic and high-resolution inelastic x-ray scattering, we observe a c-axis superlattice vector that coexists with the 2times2times1 CDW vectors in the kagome plane. Most interestingly, between the magnetic and CDW transition temperatures, the phonon dynamical structure factor shows a giant phonon-energy hardening and a substantial phonon linewidth broadening near the c-axis wavevectors, both signaling the spin-phonon coupling. By first principles and model calculations, we show that both the static spin polarization and dynamic spin excitations intertwine with the phonon to drive the spatial symmetry breaking in FeGe.

Nonreciprocal genuine steering of three macroscopic samples in a spinning microwave magnonical system

Here, we propose to generate the nonreciprocal macroscopic entanglement and steering of magnon modes from three yttrium iron garnet spheres, which are placed in a spinning microwave resonator damped by a squeezed reservoir. Strikingly, the genuine entanglement and steering among three magnons can be achieved due to the correlation transfer from squeezed microwave to three magnons and the steady-state entanglement and steering show strong robustness against temperature. Furthermore, the nonreciprocal tripartite entanglement and steering are simultaneously existent based on Fizeau light-dragging effect by spinning the resonator at the steady state, which provides an alternative way to manipulate nonreciprocal effects in a cavity magnonical system and may have potential applications in manipulating the macroscopic quantum states of the multipartite system.

Power Dependent Resonant Frequency of a Microwave Cavity Due to Magnetic Levitation

The fact that a magnet levitates above a superconductor is a fascinating consequence of the interaction between electromagnetic fields and the macroscopic quantum state of the superconductor. Such field-matter interactions, which include the Meissner and Josephson effects, combined with superconducting devices, such as low-loss superconducting microwave cavities, are emerging as key elements used in quantum computers. One technique that can be used to monitor the levitation of a magnet is to place the magnet within a superconducting microwave cavity and monitor the microwave resonance of that cavity. Here, we report measurements of the change in resonance frequency of the microwave cavity with the Meissner-levitated permanent magnet. The cavity resonance changes because the magnet perturbs the radio-frequency field inside the microwave cavity. The changes in resonant frequency and quality factor were measured as functions of input power and temperature. The observed power-dependent variations are explained in terms of the power dependence of the London penetration depth.

Proposal for Optomagnonic Teleportation and Entanglement Swapping

A protocol for realizing discrete-variable quantum teleportation in an optomagnonic system is provided. Using optical pulses, an arbitrary photonic qubit state encoded in orthogonal polarizations is transferred onto the joint state of a pair of magnonic oscillators in two macroscopic yttrium-iron-garnet (YIG) spheres that are placed in an optical interferometer. We further show that optomagnonic entanglement swapping can be realized in an extended dual-interferometer configuration with a joint Bell-state detection. Consequently, magnon Bell states are prepared. We analyze the effect of the residual thermal occupation of the magnon modes on the fidelity in both the teleportation and entanglement swapping protocols. The work may find applications in the study of macroscopic quantum states, quantum information processing, and hybrid quantum networks based on magnonics.

Squeezed States of Magnons and Phonons in a Cavity Magnomechanical System with a Microwave Parametric Amplifier

AbstractThe cavity magnomechanical system has become a promising platform for preparing macroscopic quantum states. In this work, a scheme for generating the steady‐state quadrature squeezing of the magnon and phonon modes in a cavity magnomechanical system is presented. This scheme uses a degenerate microwave parametric amplifier (PA) inside the microwave cavity. It is found that the squeezing of the cavity mode produced by the PA can be transferred to the magnon mode due to the cavity‐magnon beamsplitter‐like interaction, and the squeezing of the magnon mode can be further transferred to the phonon mode due to the magnon‐phonon beamsplitter‐like interaction induced by driving the magnon mode with a red‐detuned microwave field. The effects of the parametric gain and phase of the PA, the magnon‐cavity coupling strength, the power of the magnon drive, and the temperature of the environment on the squeezing of the magnon and phonon modes have been evaluated. The results show that the squeezing of the magnon and phonon modes is robust against the temperature of the environment.

All-Optical Control of Rotational Exciton Polaritons Condensate in Perovskite Microcavities

Exciton polariton condensation is a macroscopic quantum state that can be efficiently controlled by an external field through a nonlinear interaction. In an annular potential landscape, a rotational polariton flow with different orbit indexes can be created spontaneously. Control of their superposition states with symmetry broken is of fundamental interest for exotic quantum states. By adopting the nonresonant ring-shaped pumping in a planar perovskite microcavity, we demonstrate the linear coupled counter-rotating polariton states with ordered phase changes and a vortex pairs-petal state at the condensed threshold. The azimuthal indices and inherent flowing velocity can be well controlled by the diameter of the pumping ring and the detuning energy. At high pump density, the petal state becomes unstable and a single vortex generates, indicating the role of the polariton–polariton interaction and exciton depletion in controlling the superposition of the rotational polariton flow. Broken cylindrical symmetry is realized by a pumping ring with radial slots and the consequent dark soliton. An additional phase jump and fractional orbit index of polariton rotation can thus be obtained. Our results suggest the efficient all-optical control of rotational polariton flow and their superposition states with a flexible diameter and a broken cylindrical symmetry at room temperature, which is promising for practical polaritonic circular current-based applications with topological and chiral properties.

Simultaneous ground-state cooling of two mechanical modes of a levitated nanoparticle

The quantum ground state of a massive mechanical system is a stepping stone for investigating macroscopic quantum states and building high fidelity sensors. With the recent achievement of ground-state cooling of a single motional mode, levitated nanoparticles have entered the quantum domain. To overcome detrimental cross-coupling and decoherence effects, quantum control needs to be expanded to more system dimensions, but the effect of a decoupled dark mode has so far hindered cavity-based ground-state cooling of multiple mechanical modes. Here, we demonstrate two-dimensional ground-state cooling of an optically levitated nanoparticle. Utilizing coherent scattering into an optical cavity mode, we reduce the occupation numbers of two separate centre-of-mass modes to 0.83 and 0.81, respectively. By controlling the frequency separation and the cavity coupling strengths of the nanoparticle’s mechanical modes, we show the transition from 1D to 2D ground-state cooling. This 2D control lays the foundations for quantum-limited orbital angular momentum states for rotation sensing and, combined with ground-state cooling along the third motional axis shown previously, may allow full 3D ground-state cooling of a massive object.

Collapse of Superradiant Phase and Unstable Macroscopic Vacuum State in An-Optomechanical-Dual-Cavity with a Bose-Einstein Condensate

Based on spin-coherent-state variational method, we mainly study the multiple stable macroscopic quantum states and quantum phase transitions of a Bose-Einstein Condensate in an optomechanical dual-cavity by modulating the dual-cavity interaction and the nonlinear phonon-photon interaction. Especially, the collapse of superradiant phase can be tuned in the existing nonlinear photon-phonon interaction, but the critical quantum phase transition point or boundary hasn’t been influenced. As a result, the system occurs an additional phase transition from the superradiant phase to the inversely atomic populated state. Moreover, when dual-cavity coupling interaction increases to a certain value, a new quantum phase transition from the normal phase to the inversely atomic populated state will appear. Finally, the superradiant phase completely collapses and the normal phase also collapses into an unstable macroscopic vacuum state for a strong dual-cavity coupling interaction.

The effect of damping by an environment on emergence of classicality

The role of dissipation with respect to a microscopic superposition of quantum states is investigated by means of master equations. This has implications for the study of the emergence of classicality from the quantum level. In particular, it illustrates why it is difficult to observe a macroscopic quantum state. The role of the environment is assumed by the measuring apparatus. A pure state is reduced to a mixture in the pointer basis of the system by means of the interaction with the apparatus. It is the intention that this type of analysis will have applications to experiments which are designed to better understand the environmental-assisted invariance formulation of quantum mechanics.