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Overview of the Optomechanical Design of the LUVOIR Instruments
The Large Ultraviolet/Optical/Infrared Surveyor (LUVOIR) is a space telescope being submitted for review to the 2020 Decadal Survey in Astronomy and Astrophysics. Its science objectives include both direct imaging and spectral characterization of habitable exoplanets around sun-like stars, the study of planet, star, and galaxy formation, the transfer of matter between different galaxies, and the remote sensing of objects within the Solar System. Two architectures have been designed: a 15 m diameter on-axis telescope (LUVOIR-A) and an 8 m off-axis telescope (LUVOIR-B). This paper discusses the opto-mechanical design of the three LUVOIR instruments: the High Definition Imager (HDI), the LUVOIR UV Multi-object Spectrograph (LUMOS), and the Extreme Coronagraph for Living Planetary Systems (ECLIPS). For both the LUVOIR-A and LUVOIR-B variants of each instrument, optical design specifications are presented including first-order constraints, packaging requirements, and optical performance metrics. These factors are used to illustrate the final design of each instrument and LUVOIR as a whole. In addition to the optical designs, mechanical models are presented for each instrument showing the optical mounts, mechanisms, support structure, etc.
Optomechanical magnetometer with flux concentrator
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The optomechanical design for the Off-plane Grating Rocket Experiment (OGRE)
The Off-plane Grating Rocket Experiment (OGRE) is a sounding rocket payload designed to obtain a high-resolution soft X-ray spectrum of Capella. OGRE’s optical system uses new technologies including state-of-the-art X-ray optics, custom arrays of reflection gratings, and an array of EM-CCDs. Many of these technologies will be tested for the first time in flight with OGRE. To achieve the high performance that these new technologies are capable of, the payload components must be properly aligned to meet high tolerances. This paper will outline OGRE’s opto-mechanical design for achieving alignment within these tolerances. Specifically, the design of the X-ray grating arrays will be discussed.
Ultra-Compact Imaging Spectrometer Moon (UCIS-Moon) For Lunar Surface Missions: Optical, Optomechanical, and Thermal Design
The Ultra-Compact Imaging Spectrometer Moon (UCIS-Moon) instrument is an imaging spectrometer designed for integration with a lander or rover for lunar surface science missions. Operating over a 600-3600 nm spectral range with 10 nm sampling and 1.15 mrad IFOV, UCIS-Moon is capable of detecting spectral absorptions from common lunar minerals, OH species, molecular H2O, water ice, organics, and placing mineral identifications within an established geologic context at the cm to m scale. We present an instrument design capable of surviving the harsh lunar environment in the daytime with temperatures as high as 370 K, while providing high-quality spectral data.
Laser-Induced Enhancement of Acoustic Mode Quality Factor Revealed by Correlated Single-Particle Optical and Electron Microscopy
Acoustic modes in plasmonic nanostructures provide fundamental insights into their optomechanical behavior at the nanoscale, enabling emerging applications in plasmon-enhanced optomechanics, ultrasensitive sensing, and nanoscale energy transduction. Here we explore the modulation of acoustic phonon dynamics in lithographically fabricated gold nanodisks via laser-induced photothermal annealing. Using a correlated approach that utilizes both single-particle transient extinction spectroscopy and advanced electron microscopy, we directly link nanoscale structural transformations to changes in mechanical properties as probed through the coherence of the excited acoustic modes. Specifically, ultrafast pump–probe microscopy reveals an enhancement in the acoustic mode quality factor of annealed gold nanodisks, indicative of reduced damping and improved vibrational coherence. Structural characterization via scanning electron microscopy and electron backscatter diffraction confirms that photoinduced annealing results in smoother surface morphology and overall enhanced crystallinity. The improved crystalline order reduces defect and crystal boundary scattering, which we suggest as the reason underlying the lower quality factor before annealing. Furthermore, these findings demonstrate that targeted structural engineering at the nanoscale offers a powerful strategy for optimizing the optomechanical performance of plasmonic nanostructures, with broad implications for the design of next-generation nanophotonic and optomechanical systems.
Electrically interfaced Brillouin-active waveguide for microwave photonic measurements
New strategies for converting signals between optical and microwave domains could play a pivotal role in advancing both classical and quantum technologies. Traditional approaches to optical-to-microwave transduction typically perturb or destroy the information encoded on intensity of the light field, eliminating the possibility for further processing or distribution of these signals. In this paper, we introduce an optical-to-microwave conversion method that allows for both detection and spectral analysis of microwave photonic signals without degradation of their information content. This functionality is demonstrated using an optomechanical waveguide integrated with a piezoelectric transducer. Efficient electromechanical and optomechanical coupling within this system permits bidirectional optical-to-microwave conversion with a quantum efficiency of up to -54.16 dB. Leveraging the preservation of the optical field envelope in intramodal Brillouin scattering, we demonstrate a multi-channel microwave photonic filter by transmitting an optical signal through a series of electro-optomechanical waveguide segments, each with distinct resonance frequencies. Such electro-optomechanical systems could offer flexible strategies for remote sensing, channelization, and spectrum analysis in microwave photonics.
Higher symmetry breaking and nonreciprocity in a driven-dissipative Dicke model
Higher symmetries in interacting many-body systems often give rise to new phases and unexpected dynamical behavior. Here, we theoretically investigate a variant of the Dicke model with higher-order discrete symmetry, resulting from complex-valued coupling coefficients between quantum emitters and a bosonic mode. We propose a driven-dissipative realization of this model focusing on optomechanical response of a driven atom tweezer array comprised of 𝑛 subensembles and placed within an optical cavity, with the phase of the driving field advancing stepwise between subensembles. Examining stationary points and their dynamical stability, we identify a phase diagram for 𝑛≥3 with three distinctive features: a ℤ 𝑛 (ℤ 2𝑛 ) symmetry-breaking superradiant phase for even (odd) 𝑛, a normal unbroken-symmetry phase that is dynamically unstable due to nonreciprocal forces between emitters, and a first-order phase transition separating these phases. This 𝑛-phase Dicke model may be equivalently realized in a variety of optomechanical or optomagnonic settings, where it can serve as a test bed for studying high-order symmetry breaking and nonreciprocal interactions in open systems.
Combining quantum noise reduction resources: A practical approach
Optomechanical sensors are capable of transducing external perturbations to resolvable optical signals. A particular regime of interest is that of high-bandwidth force detection, where an impulse is delivered to the system over a short period of time. Exceedingly sensitive impulse detection has been proposed to observe very weak signals like those due to long-range interactions with dark matter that require much higher sensitivities than current sensors can provide. Quantum resources to go beyond the traditional standard quantum limit of these sensors include squeezing of the light used to transduce the signal, backaction evasion by measuring the optimal quadrature, and quantum nondemolition (QND) measurements that reduce backaction directly. These methods have been developed in the context of gravitational wave detection for target frequencies in the audio band range. Here, we provide the theoretical limits to quantum noise reduction for higher and broader frequency targets, such as those from dark matter signals, while combining quantum-enhanced readout techniques based on squeezed light and QND measurements with optomechanical sensors. Here, we demonstrate that backaction evasion through QND techniques dramatically reduces the technical challenges presented when using squeezed light for broadband force detection, paving the way for combining multiple quantum noise reduction techniques for enhanced sensitivity in the context of impulse metrology.
Quantum computer-enabled receivers for optical communication
Abstract Optical communication is the standard for high-bandwidth information transfer in today’s digital age. The increasing demand for bandwidth has led to the maturation of coherent transceivers that use phase- and amplitude-modulated optical signals to encode more bits of information per transmitted pulse. Such encoding schemes achieve higher information density, but also require more complicated receivers to discriminate the signaling states. In fact, achieving the ultimate limit of optical communication capacity, especially in the low light regime, requires coherent joint detection of multiple pulses. Despite their superiority, such joint detection receivers are not in widespread use because of the difficulty of constructing them in the optical domain. In this work we describe how optomechanical transduction of phase information from coherent optical pulses to superconducting qubit states followed by the execution of trained short-depth variational quantum circuits can perform joint detection of communication codewords with error probabilities that surpass all classical, individual pulse detection receivers. Importantly, we utilize a model of optomechanical transduction that captures non-idealities such as thermal noise and loss in order to understand the transduction performance necessary to achieve a quantum advantage with such a scheme. We also execute the trained variational circuits on an IBM-Q device with the modeled transduced states as input to demonstrate that a quantum advantage is possible even with current levels of quantum computing hardware noise.
Quantum metrology of low-frequency electromagnetic modes with frequency upconverters
We present the RF Quantum Upconverter (RQU) and describe its application to quantum metrology of electromagnetic modes between dc and the very high frequency band (VHF) ( ≲ 300 MHz). The RQU uses a Josephson interferometer made up of superconducting loops and Josephson junctions to implement a parametric interaction between a low-frequency electromagnetic mode (between dc and VHF) and a mode in the microwave C Band ( ∼ 5 GHz), analogous to the radiation pressure interaction between electromagnetic and mechanical modes in cavity optomechanics. We analyze RQU performance with quantum amplifier theory and show that the RQU can operate as a quantum-limited op-amp in this frequency range. It can also use nonclassical measurement protocols equivalent to those used in cavity optomechanics, including back-action evading (BAE) measurements, sideband cooling, and two-mode squeezing. These protocols enable experiments using dc VHF electromagnetic modes as quantum sensors with sensitivity better than the standard quantum limit (SQL). We demonstrate signal upconversion from low frequencies to the microwave C band using an RQU and show a phase-sensitive gain (extinction ratio) of 46.9 dB , which is a necessary step towards the realization of full BAE. Published by the American Physical Society 2025
Experiment definition phase shuttle laboratory LDRL-10.6 experiment
The acquisition and tracking links of shuttle to molniya satellite and shuttle to ground are established. Link parameters and tolerance are analyzed. A 10-micromillimeter optomechanical subsystem brassboard model was designed and measured for optical properties and weight optimization. The design incorporates an afocal rotating Gregorian telescope in a two-gimbal berylium structure with beam steering control mechanisms. Parameters for both the optomechanical subsystem and spaceborne terminals are included.
Experiment definition phase shuttle laboratory LDRL-10.6 experiment
This report for the Experiment Definition Phase of the Shuttle Laboratory LDRL 10.6 Micrometer Experiment covers period 27 June through 26 September 1975. Activities during the fifth quarter included: (1) reevaluation of system obscuration ratio with a subsequent reduction of this ratio from 0.417 to 0.362, (2) completion of detail drawings for the 6X pre-expander, (3) completion of detail drawings for the nine mirrors that comprise pointing and tracking optomechanical subsystem, (4) continuation of detailing of mechanical portions of CMSS and modifications to accommodate new obscuration ratio, (5) qualitative operation of the optomechanical subsystem of the 10.6 um receiver achieved under experiment measurement task; receiver fully integrated and operation demonstrated over a 10 km experimental link, and (6) data collection task initiated to begin preparation of link analysis volumes.
Euclid Near Infrared Spectro Photometer instrument concept and first test results obtained for different breadboards models at the end of phase C
The Euclid mission objective is to understand why the expansion of the Universe is accelerating through by mapping the geometry of the dark Universe by investigating the distance-redshift relationship and tracing the evolution of cosmic structures. The Euclid project is part of ESA's Cosmic Vision program with its launch planned for 2020 (ref [1]). The NISP (Near Infrared Spectrometer and Photometer) is one of the two Euclid instruments and is operating in the near-IR spectral region (900- 2000nm) as a photometer and spectrometer. The instrument is composed of: - a cold (135K) optomechanical subsystem consisting of a Silicon carbide structure, an optical assembly (corrector and camera lens), a filter wheel mechanism, a grism wheel mechanism, a calibration unit and a thermal control system - a detection subsystem based on a mosaic of 16 HAWAII2RG cooled to 95K with their front-end readout electronic cooled to 140K, integrated on a mechanical focal plane structure made with molybdenum and aluminum. The detection subsystem is mounted on the optomechanical subsystem structure - a warm electronic subsystem (280K) composed of a data processing / detector control unit and of an instrument control unit that interfaces with the spacecraft via a 1553 bus for command and control and via Spacewire links for science data This presentation describes the architecture of the instrument at the end of the phase C (Detailed Design Review), the expected performance, the technological key challenges and preliminary test results obtained for different NISP subsystem breadboards and for the NISP Structural and Thermal model (STM).
Quantum Theory of Surface Lattice Resonances
The collective interactions of nanoparticles arranged in periodic structures give rise to high‐ in‐plane diffractive modes known as surface lattice resonances. Although these resonances and their broader implications have been extensively studied within the framework of classical electrodynamics and linear response theory, a quantum optical theory capable of describing the dynamics of these structures, especially in the presence of material nonlinearities beyond ad hoc few‐mode approximations, is largely missing. To this end, we consider a lattice of metallic nanoparticles coupled to the electromagnetic field and derive the quantum input–output relations within the electric dipole approximation. As applications, we analyze coupling between the nanoparticle array and external quantum emitters, and show how the formalism extends to molecular optomechanics, where the high ‐factors of SLRs enable coupling to collective vibrational modes. We further consider arrays composed of saturable excitonic emitters, demonstrating how emitter nonlinearities can be used to switch the SLR condition between electronic transitions. Using a perturbative approach that accounts for population dynamics, we show how these effects can be probed in pump–probe experiments and give rise to nonlinear phase‐matching phenomena. Our work provides a microscopic framework for modeling SLRs interacting with quantum emitters without phenomenological descriptions of the electromagnetic environment.
Mechanical Detection of Nuclear Decays
We report the detection of individual nuclear alpha decays through the mechanical recoil of the entire micron-sized particle in which the decaying nuclei are embedded. Momentum conservation ensures that such measurements are sensitive to any particles emitted in the decay, including neutral particles that may otherwise evade detection with existing techniques. Detection of the minuscule recoil of an object more than 10^12 times more massive than the emitted particles is made possible by recently developed techniques in levitated optomechanics, which enable high-precision optical control and measurement of the mechanical motion of optically trapped particles. Observation of a change in the net charge of the particle coincident with the recoil allows decays to be identified with background levels at the micro-Becquerel level. Here, the techniques developed here may find use in fields ranging from nuclear forensics to dark matter and neutrino physics.
Gigahertz-frequency acousto-optic phase modulation of visible light in a CMOS-fabricated photonic circuit
Optical phase modulators operating at visible wavelengths are essential components for photonic technologies such as those for quantum control, communications, and laser ranging. However, they remain challenging to implement in scalable, integrated platforms capable of handling high optical powers. Here we present a visible-light, gigahertz-frequency acousto-optic phase modulator, fabricated on a 200-mm wafer in a volume CMOS foundry, that supports greater than 500 mW of optical power at 730 nm. The device combines a piezoelectric transducer and a photonic waveguide within a single, wavelength-scale structure that confines both a propagating optical mode and an electrically excitable breathing-mode mechanical resonance. By tuning the device’s geometry to optimize the optomechanical interaction, we achieve modulation depths up to 4.85 rad with 80 mW of applied microwave power at 2.31 GHz in a 2-mm-long device. This corresponds to resonant modulation figures of merit of V π = 1.32V and V π ⋅ L = 0.26V cm. To our knowledge, this is the lowest V π ever demonstrated in any acousto-optic phase modulator and represents a 15-fold reduction in V π and a 100-fold reduction in required microwave power relative to state-of-the-art modulators with high visible-wavelength power handling commonly employed in quantum control systems.