Abstract

One of the cornerstones of quantum mechanics is that matter can possess both particle- and wave-like properties. Since the inception of quantum mechanics, such wavelike behaviour has been observed in ever more massive systems—ranging from electrons, neutrons, ultracold atoms, and even large molecules comprising many hundreds of atoms. An exciting route to further extend the exploration of quantum phenomena to a macroscopic regime is through the study of quantum optomechanics, where optical fields are used to manipulate the motion of mechanical resonators using radiation pressure. We introduce a method for preparing non-classical states of motion for an optomechanical system which, using the non-linearity of single-photon measurements, is independent of the initial thermal occupation of the resonator and does not require strong single-photon coupling. We demonstrate this method in a thermal regime and observe interference fringes in the position quadrature distribution of a SiN membrane [1].

© 2017 IEEE