An Optomechanical Quantum Cavendish Experiment

Abstract

An open question in experimental physics is the characterization of gravitational effects in quantum regimes. We propose an experimental set-up that uses well-tested techniques in cavity optomechanics to observe the effects of the gravitational interaction between two micro-mechanical oscillators on the interference of the cavity photons through the shifts in the visibility of interfering photons. The gravitational coupling leads to a shift in the period and magnitude of the visibility whose observability is within reach of current technology. We discuss the feasibility of the set-up as well as the effects on entanglement due to gravitational interaction.

9 pages, 5 figures