Observation of decoherence in a carbon nanotube mechanical resonator

Abstract

In physical systems, decoherence can arise from both dissipative and dephasing processes. In mechanical resonators, the driven frequency response measures a combination of both, while time domain techniques such as ringdown measurements can separate the two. Here, we report the first observation of the mechanical ringdown of a carbon nanotube mechanical resonator. Comparing the mechanical quality factor obtained from frequency- and time-domain measurements, we find a spectral quality factor four times smaller than that measured in ringdown, demonstrating dephasing-induced decoherence of the nanomechanical motion. This decoherence is seen to arise at high driving amplitudes, pointing to a non-linear dephasing mechanism. Our results highlight the importance of time-domain techniques for understanding dissipation in nano-mechanical resonators, and the relevance of decoherence mechanisms in nanotube mechanics.

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• Nanoelectromechanical resonators from high-T${}_c$ superconducting crystals of Bi${}_2$Sr${}_2$Ca${}_1$Cu${}_2$O${}_{8+\delta }$
• Beating ringdowns of near-degenerate mechanical resonances
• Energy exchange in globally coupled mechanical phase oscillators
• Nanomechanical vibrational response from electrical mixing measurements
• Stepwise relaxation and stochastic precession in degenerate oscillators dispersively coupled to particles