Optomechanical cooling with coherent and squeezed light: The thermodynamic cost of opening the heat valve
Journal article, 2021

Ground-state cooling of mechanical motion by coupling to a driven optical cavity has been demonstrated in various optomechanical systems. In our paper, we provide a 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.

Optomechanics

Quantum thermodynamics

Author

Juliette Monsel

Chalmers, Microtechnology and Nanoscience (MC2), Applied Quantum Physics

Nastaran Dashti

Chalmers, Microtechnology and Nanoscience (MC2), Applied Quantum Physics

Sushanth Kini

Chalmers, Microtechnology and Nanoscience (MC2), Quantum Technology

Jakob Eriksson

University of Gothenburg

Student at Chalmers

Henric Ernbrink

Student at Chalmers

Ebba Olsson

Student at Chalmers

Emelie Torneus

Chalmers, Microtechnology and Nanoscience (MC2)

Witlef Wieczorek

Chalmers, Microtechnology and Nanoscience (MC2), Quantum Technology

Janine Splettstoesser

Chalmers, Microtechnology and Nanoscience (MC2), Applied Quantum Physics

Physical Review A

24699926 (ISSN) 24699934 (eISSN)

Vol. 103 6 063519

Värmeströmsfluktuationer och dens inverkan på lokala temperaturer och potentialer

Swedish Research Council (VR) (2018-05061), 2019-01-01 -- 2022-12-31.

Nonlinear interaction between light and mechanical motion for quantum optics and quantum sensing experiments

Swedish Research Council (VR) (2019-04946), 2020-01-01 -- 2023-12-31.

Areas of Advance

Nanoscience and Nanotechnology

Subject Categories

Atom and Molecular Physics and Optics

Other Physics Topics

DOI

10.1103/PhysRevA.103.063519

More information

Latest update

1/3/2024 9