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DOE OSTI2024

Backaction-evading receivers with magnetomechanical and electromechanical sensors

Today's mechanical sensors are capable of detecting extremely weak perturbations while operating near the standard quantum limit. However, further improvements can be made in both sensitivity and bandwidth when we reduce the noise originating from the process of measurement itself—the quantum-mechanical backaction of measurement—and go below this ‘standard’ limit, possibly approaching the Heisenberg limit. One of the ways to eliminate this noise is by measuring a quantum nondemolition variable such as the momentum in a free-particle system. Here, we propose and characterize theoretical models for direct velocity measurement that utilize traditional electric and magnetic transducer designs to generate a signal while enabling this backaction evasion. We consider the general readout of this signal via electric or magnetic field sensing by creating toy models analogous to the standard optomechanical position-sensing problem, thereby facilitating the assessment of measurement-added noise. Using simple models that characterize a wide range of transducers, we find that the choice of readout scheme—voltage or current—for each mechanical detector configuration implies access to either the position or velocity of the mechanical subsystem. This in turn suggests a path forward for key fundamental physics experiments such as the direct detection of dark matter particles. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

74 ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS↗

DOE OSTI2025

Fundamental limits to the generation of highly displaced bright squeezed light using linear optics and parametric amplifiers

High-quality squeezed light is an important resource for a variety of applications. Multiple methods for generating squeezed light are known, having been demonstrated theoretically and experimentally. However, the effectiveness of these methods—in particular, the inherent limitations to the signals that can be produced—has received little consideration. Here we present a comparative theoretical analysis for generating a highly displaced squeezed light from a linear optical method—a beamsplitter mixing a squeezed vacuum and a strong coherent state—and well-studied parametric amplification methods including an optical parametric oscillator, an optical parametric amplifier, and a dissipative optomechanical squeezer seeded with coherent states. We show that the quality of highly displaced squeezed states that can be generated using these methods is limited on a fundamental level by the physical mechanism utilized; across all methods there are significant trade-offs between displacement, squeezing, and overall uncertainty. We explore the nature and extent of these trade-offs specific to each mechanism and identify the optimal operation modes for each. Finally, we identify the conditions for minimum-uncertainty squeezing in arbitrary parametric amplifying systems and show that displacing the output signal will in general violate these conditions, adding noise and degrading squeezing. Published by the American Physical Society 2025

Young, Steve M. (ORCID:0000000173839366)↗

DOE OSTI2024

Quantum Entanglement between Optical and Microwave Photonic Qubits

Entanglement is an extraordinary feature of quantum mechanics. Sources of entangled optical photons were essential to test the foundations of quantum physics through violations of Bell’s inequalities. More recently, entangled many-body states have been realized via strong nonlinear interactions in microwave circuits with superconducting qubits. Here, we demonstrate a chip-scale source of entangled optical and microwave photonic qubits. Our device platform integrates a piezo-optomechanical transducer with a superconducting resonator which is robust under optical illumination. We drive a photon-pair generation process and employ a dual-rail encoding intrinsic to our system to prepare entangled states of microwave and optical photons. We place a lower bound on the fidelity of the entangled state by measuring microwave and optical photons in two orthogonal bases. This entanglement source can directly interface telecom wavelength time-bin qubits and gigahertz frequency superconducting qubits, two well-established platforms for quantum communication and computation, respectively. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

Physics↗

DOE OSTI2023

Simultaneous Brillouin and piezoelectric coupling to a high-frequency bulk acoustic resonator

Bulk acoustic resonators support robust, long-lived mechanical modes, capable of coupling to various quantum systems. In separate works, such devices have achieved strong coupling to both superconducting qubits, via piezoelectricity, and optical cavities, via Brillouin interactions. In this work, we present a hybrid microwave–optical platform capable of coupling to bulk acoustic waves through cavity-enhanced piezoelectric and photoelastic interactions. The modular, tunable system achieves fully resonant and well-mode-matched interactions among a 3D microwave cavity, a high-frequency bulk acoustic resonator, and a Fabry–Perot cavity. We realize this piezo–Brillouin interaction in x-cut quartz, demonstrating the potential for strong optomechanical interactions and high cooperativity using optical cavity enhancement. We further show how this device functions as a bidirectional electro–opto–mechanical transducer, with transduction efficiency exceeding 10 − <#comment/> 8 , and a feasible path towards unity conversion efficiency. The high optical sensitivity and ability to apply a large resonant microwave field in this system also offers a tool for probing anomalous electromechanical couplings, which we demonstrate by investigating (nominally centrosymmetric) C a F 2 and revealing a parasitic piezoelectricity of 83 am/V. Such studies are an important topic for emerging quantum technologies, and highlight the versatility of this hybrid platform.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

DOE OSTI2024

Overcoming the fundamental limit of quantum transduction via intraband entanglement

A quantum transducer converts an input signal to an output probe at a distant frequency band while maintaining the quantum information with high fidelity, which is crucial for quantum networking and distributed quantum sensing and computing. In terms of microwave–optical quantum transduction, the state-of-the-art quantum transducers suffer low transduction efficiency from weak nonlinear coupling, wherein increasing pump power to enhance efficiency inevitably leads to thermal noise from heating. Moreover, we reveal that the efficiency-bandwidth product of a cavity electro-optical or electro-optomechanical transducer is fundamentally limited by pump power and nonlinear coupling coefficient, irrespective of cavity engineering efforts. To overcome this fundamental limit, we propose to noiselessly boost the transduction efficiency by consuming intraband entanglement (e.g., microwave–microwave or optical–optical entanglement in the case of microwave–optical transduction). Via a squeezer–coupler–antisqueezer sandwich structure, the protocol enhances the transduction efficiency to unity in the ideal lossless case, given an arbitrarily weak pump and nonlinear coupling. In practical cavity systems, our entanglement-assisted protocol surpasses the non-assisted fundamental limit of the efficiency-bandwidth product and reduces the threshold cooperativity for positive quantum capacity by a factor proportional to two-mode squeezing gain. Given a fixed cooperativity, our approach increases the broadband quantum capacity by orders of magnitude. The entanglement-assisted advantage is robust to ancilla loss and cavity detuning.

Shi, Haowei [Southern California U.] (ORCID:000000↗

DOE OSTI2022

SRF Levitation and Trapping of Nanoparticles Experiment

The levitation and trapping of micro particles using lasers is not a new accomplishment and has been applied in containerless processing and spectroscopy of microparticles. Recent developments in the field of optomechanics have achieved levitating nanoparticles such that quantum phenomena was observed which would have relevance in quantum science and technology. This two-year project sought to levitate and trap mesoscopic particles using radio frequency (RF) fields in a resonating superconducting RF (SRF) cavity. By exploiting the intrinsic characteristics of an SRF resonating cavity, the project was to explore overcoming a major limit faced by current laser trapping techniques. The goal was to establish a foundation to enable the observation of quantum phenomena of an isolated mechanical oscillator interacting with microwave fields. If successful the experiment could establish its ground-breaking relevance to quantum information science and technology.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

DOE OSTI2022

Electronic and Geometric effects on Photochemistry of Molecules in Well-Defined Environments

Assemblies of molecular switches at surfaces are of great interest for applications in solar energy conversion, optoelectronic and optomechanical devices. Experimental studies have demonstrated that it is possible to optically probe photoactive molecules in well-defined nanoscale environments. To understand these systems, we have developed a polarizable frozen-density embedding (FDEpol) to model the optical properties of molecules adsorbed on metal clusters. We have demonstrated that the FDEpol method can describe the ground state and linear response properties of strongly coupled systems with results that are in good agreement with exact projection based embedding method.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

DOE OSTI2023

Optical Strain Sensing for HEP and QIS

Optomechanical strain sensing provides attractive opportunities for novel particle detection schemes, as well as studying stress-induced (i.e. non-radiogenic) phonon bursts, which have been demonstrated to limit the coherence times of superconducting qubits [1,2] and are a suspected culprit in the low energy excesses observed by many dark matter direct detection experiments [3,4]. We are investigating SiN microring optical resonator strain sensors, developed at Purdue University [5], for applications in fundamental particle sensing and QIS. These sensors can be embedded in the substrate upon which superconducting qubits are patterned, providing a handle to distinguish decoherence events of radiogenic origin from those due to crystal stress. In a similar way, these sensors can be operated in conjunction with superconducting detectors (e.g., MKIDs, TES) to enable multi-channel readout of particle interactions in the device substrate or serve as anticoincidence detectors, which may be r equired to identify low-energy interactions from dark matter particles down to the fermionic thermal relic mass limit of a few keV. Such sensors can also be used to directly observe resonant scattering processes of gamma rays (and perhaps neutrinos) where no detectable quanta are produced in the target, via the microscopic strain induced by the momentum transfer to the (fixed-in-place) crystal lattice as a whole. These strain sensors have so far found application in photonics and communications, but have yet to be adopted for HEP uses, where they can provide unique capabilities in the search for dark matter, observing neutrino interactions, and improving the coherence times of superconducting qubits.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

DOE OSTI2024

Optical Strain Sensing for Particle Detection

Optomechanical strain sensing provides attractive opportunities for novel particle detection schemes, as well as studying stress-induced (i.e. non-radiogenic) phonon bursts, which have been demonstrated to limit the coherence times of superconducting qubits and are a suspected culprit in the low energy excesses observed by many dark matter direct detection experiments. We are investigating SiN microring optical resonator strain sensors, developed at Purdue University, for applications in fundamental particle sensing and QIS. These sensors can be embedded in the substrate upon which superconducting qubits are patterned, providing a handle to distinguish decoherence events of radiogenic origin from those due to crystal stress. In a similar way, these sensors can be operated in conjunction with superconducting detectors (e.g., MKIDs, TES) to enable multi-channel readout of particle interactions in the device substrate or serve as anticoincidence detectors, which may be required to ident ify low-energy interactions from dark matter particles down to the fermionic thermal relic mass limit of a few keV. Such sensors can potentially be used to directly observe resonant scattering processes of gamma rays (and perhaps neutrinos) where no detectable quanta are produced in the target, via the microscopic stress induced by the momentum transfer to the (fixed-in-place) crystal lattice as a whole. These strain sensors have so far found application in photonics and communications, but have yet to be adopted for HEP uses, where they can provide unique capabilities in the search for dark matter as well as understanding and improving the coherence times of superconducting qubits.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗

DOE OSTI2025

Ultra-high Bandwidth, Ultra-high Dynamic Range X-Ray Shock Characterization via Photonic Integrated Circuit

Nuclear weapon component assessment tests at the Z Machine rely on accurate X-ray yield measurements for model validation, design and analysis of component survivability, and source optimization. Yield measurement devices currently used do not provide the requisite certainty to enable accurate and efficient data analysis of test results, which leads to an increase in Z-shots required for evaluation, longer device development times, and higher operation costs. Additionally, current X-ray flux detectors lack high temporal resolution at the tails. Similarly, shock measurement techniques used for component assessment often lack the ability to spatially resolve wave behavior thereby limiting the ability to measure shock propagation dynamics needed to design the next generation of ND components. Here we present the development of a photonic micro-calorimeter and shock sensor consisting of meter-long waveguide spirals that are optomechanically coupled to X-ray absorbing layers to characterize yield and shock propagation at nanosecond timescales.

42 ENGINEERING↗

NASA NTRS1969

Design of the advanced remote oculometer

Design of optomechanical system for remote oculometer for monitoring eye fixations without subject interference and eye control of pointing or tracking tasks

Merchant, J.↗

NASA NTRS1976

Experiment definition phase shuttle laboratory. LDRL-10.6 experiment

The work completed on the experiment definition phase of the shuttle laboratory LDRL 10.6 micrometers experiment from 27 September 1975 to 26 January 1976 was reported. This work included progress in the following areas: (1) optomechanical system: completion of detail drawings, completion of the beryllium subassembly, fabrication, checking, and weighing of approximately 95% of the detailed parts, dry film lubrication of the bearings and gears, and initiation of assembly of the gimbals; (2) optics: update of the detailed optical layout, receipt of nine mirrors and the pre-expander; (3) miscellaneous: delivery of draft material for the final report, completion of optical testing of the 10.6 micrometers receiver, and receipt, assembly, and checkout of NASA test console.

Source record↗

NASA NTRS1979

A variable optical target simulator

A crucial experiment, relative to determining the ability of an imaging seeker to track a target and generate accurate terminal guidance, requires an optical device which can provide imagery that grows in size as a real-time estimate of true missile flight conditions. The basic components of an Optical Contrast TV Imaging Seeker are reviewed to establish the need for an optical target simulator. An optomechanical device called a Variable Optical Target Simulator (VOTS) which generates end game scene situations is discussed. The organization of optical components and their control for providing an image which grows in size as a linear estimate of real world situations is presented.

Kulas, C. E.↗

NASA NTRS1987

Method and apparatus for enhancing laser absorption sensitivity

A simple optomechanical method and apparatus is described for substantially reducing the amplitude of unwanted multiple interference fringes which often limit the sensitivities of tunable laser absorption spectrometers. An exterior cavity is defined by partially transmissible surfaces such as a laser exit plate, a detector input, etc. That cavity is spoiled by placing an oscillating plate in the laser beam. For tunable diode laser spectroscopy in the mid-infrared region, a Brewster-plate spoiler allows the harmonic detection of absorptances of less than 10 to the -5 in a single laser scan. Improved operation is achieved without subtraction techniques, without complex laser frequency modulation, and without distortion of the molecular lineshape signal. The technique is applicable to tunable lasers operating from UV to IR wavelengths and in spectrometers which employ either short or long pathlengths, including the use of retroreflectors or multipass cells.

Webster, Christopher R.↗

NASA NTRS1990

Header For Laser Diode

Header designed to contain laser diode. Output combined incoherently with outputs of other laser diodes in grating laser-beam combiner in optical communication system. Provides electrical connections to laser diode, cooling to thermally stabilize laser operation, and optomechanical adjustments that steer and focus laser beam. Range of adjustments provides for correction of worst-case decentering and defocusing of laser beam encountered with laser diodes. Mechanical configuration made simple to promote stability and keep cost low.

Rall, Jonathan A. R.↗

NASA NTRS1989

Development and design of an airborne autonomous wavemeter for laser tuning

The development and design of an instrument for making water vapor Differential Absorption Lidar (DIAL) measurements from a down-looking airborne platform are described. The wavemeter device for this NASA-LASE (Lidar Atmospheric Sensing Experiment) project involves a classical Fabry-Perot interferometer approach. The interoferometer design, breadboard design, data retrieval algorithms, and errors are examined, and the design of the airborne instrument is discussed, including the illumination and imaging considerations, optomechanical component arrangement, electronic configuration, and proposed calibration technique.

Goad, Joseph H., Jr.↗

NASA NTRS1992

Glass sample preparation and performance investigations

This final report details the work performed under this delivery order from April 1991 through April 1992. The currently available capabilities for integrated optical performance modeling at MSFC for large and complex systems such as AXAF were investigated. The Integrated Structural Modeling (ISM) program developed by Boeing for the U.S. Air Force was obtained and installed on two DECstations 5000 at MSFC. The structural, thermal and optical analysis programs available in ISM were evaluated. As part of the optomechanical engineering activities, technical support was provided in the design of support structure, mirror assembly, filter wheel assembly and material selection for the Solar X-ray Imager (SXI) program. As part of the fabrication activities, a large number of zerodur glass samples were prepared in different sizes and shapes for acid etching, coating and polishing experiments to characterize the subsurface damage and stresses produced by the grinding and polishing operations. Various optical components for AXAF video microscope and the x-ray test facility were also fabricated. A number of glass fabrication and test instruments such as a scatter plate interferometer, a gravity feed saw and some phenolic cutting blades were fabricated, integrated and tested.

Johnson, R. Barry↗

NASA NTRS1992

NASA/LMSC instrument design and fabrication

The topics addressed are: (1) class-10 flight test program; (2) class system requirements; (3) Doppler wind velocity measurement; (4) systems specifications rational; (5) signal-to-noise equation for remote atmospheric sensing laser velocimeter; (6) variation of signal-to-noise ratios and true wind velocity with distance; (7) velocity error as a function of signal-to-noise ratio, with turbulence; and (8) final class optomechanical design on NASA B/737.

Targ, Russel↗