Grant: Strategic Projects - Group

Optomechanical devices couple light to the motion of mechanical resonators, and are central to seminal observations of fundamental phenomena spanning nano- to macroscopic scales. An example of the latter is the spectacular observation of gravitational waves by LIGO. At the nanoscale, optomechanical devices have recently enabled the first observation of a mechanical resonator that is laser cooled to its quantum mechanical ground state, where quantum effects influence its mechanical motion. Nanoscale quantum optomechanical devices also have tremendous practical potential. They are particularly suited for sensing applications that convert a force or field into motion of a mechanical oscillator. However, to date, a quantum limited optomechanical device has never been used for such applications. This is in part due to the technical challenges associated with creating optomechanical devices that are sufficiently isolated from noise for quantum effects to limit their performance, and in part due to the difficulty of connecting these devices to conventional fiber or free-space optical components and measurement tools. This proposal describes a partnership to solve these challenges, by building upon unique and world-leading nanofabrication and experimental capabilities developed by the applicants and an industrial partner during the past three years. It will develop and demonstrate optomechanical devices whose sensitivity to quantum effects is harnessed for sensing applications, and will solve the critical problems preventing the adoption of these devices by the broader optical and nanomechanical sensor communities. En-route to developing these devices, nanofabrication and device integration technology will be developed that can be applied to a wide range of quantum platforms. This includes cryogenic technology and diamond based components of interest to the team's industrial partner. Devices developed during this project will also be used to for spin-phonon transduction and actuation, and as nanomagnetic sensors. These devices will advance development of quantum technology, an emerging field that has significant potential to dramatically impact Canada's economy.