Real-time optimal quantum control of mechanical motion at room temperature

Lorenzo Magrini (), Philipp Rosenzweig, Constanze Bach, Andreas Deutschmann-Olek, Sebastian G. Hofer, Sungkun Hong, Nikolai Kiesel, Andreas Kugi and Markus Aspelmeyer ()
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Lorenzo Magrini: University of Vienna
Philipp Rosenzweig: Automation and Control Institute (ACIN), TU Wien
Constanze Bach: University of Vienna
Andreas Deutschmann-Olek: Automation and Control Institute (ACIN), TU Wien
Sebastian G. Hofer: University of Vienna
Sungkun Hong: University of Stuttgart
Nikolai Kiesel: University of Vienna
Andreas Kugi: Automation and Control Institute (ACIN), TU Wien
Markus Aspelmeyer: University of Vienna

Nature, 2021, vol. 595, issue 7867, 373-377

Abstract: Abstract The ability to accurately control the dynamics of physical systems by measurement and feedback is a pillar of modern engineering1. Today, the increasing demand for applied quantum technologies requires adaptation of this level of control to individual quantum systems2,3. Achieving this in an optimal way is a challenging task that relies on both quantum-limited measurements and specifically tailored algorithms for state estimation and feedback4. Successful implementations thus far include experiments on the level of optical and atomic systems5–7. Here we demonstrate real-time optimal control of the quantum trajectory8 of an optically trapped nanoparticle. We combine confocal position sensing close to the Heisenberg limit with optimal state estimation via Kalman filtering to track the particle motion in phase space in real time with a position uncertainty of 1.3 times the zero-point fluctuation. Optimal feedback allows us to stabilize the quantum harmonic oscillator to a mean occupation of 0.56 ± 0.02 quanta, realizing quantum ground-state cooling from room temperature. Our work establishes quantum Kalman filtering as a method to achieve quantum control of mechanical motion, with potential implications for sensing on all scales. In combination with levitation, this paves the way to full-scale control over the wavepacket dynamics of solid-state macroscopic quantum objects in linear and nonlinear systems.

Date: 2021
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (7)

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DOI: 10.1038/s41586-021-03602-3

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