Thin film superfluid optomechanics

Abstract

Excitations in superfluid helium represent attractive mechanical degrees of freedom for cavity optomechanics schemes. Here we numerically and analytically investigate the properties of optomechanical resonators formed by thin films of superfluid ${}^4$He covering micrometer-scale whispering gallery mode cavities. We predict that through proper optimization of the interaction between film and optical field, large optomechanical coupling rates $g_0>2\pi \times 100$ kHz and single photon cooperativities $C_0>10$ are achievable. Our analytical model reveals the unconventional behaviour of these thin films, such as thicker and heavier films exhibiting smaller effective mass and larger zero point motion. The optomechanical system outlined here provides access to unusual regimes such as $g_0>{\Omega }_M$ and opens the prospect of laser cooling a liquid into its quantum ground state.

arXiv comment18 pages, 6 figures

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Cited by in corpus (11)

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• Strong optical coupling through superfluid Brillouin lasing
• Cryogenic and hermetically sealed packaging of photonic chips for optomechanics
• A Quantum Heat Machine from Fast Optomechanics
• Third sound detectors in accelerated motion
• Modelling of vorticity, sound and their interaction in two-dimensional superfluids
• Optical squeezing for an optomechanical system without quantising the mechanical motion
• Proposal for a quantum traveling Brillouin resonator
• Engineered entropic forces allow ultrastrong dynamical backaction
• Phononic Crystals in Superfluid Thin-Film Helium
• A cryogenic chamber setup for superfluid helium experiments with optical fiber and electrical access