Trapping a diamond particle at high vacuum is a challenge due to impurities that absorb photons and cause heating. The heating is evitable due to the necessity of laser usage for initialization and readout of the Nitrogen-Vacancy (NV) centers. Here, we demonstrate a method to launch, select, and trap a diamond at high vacuum using a surface Paul trap without too much heating. By carefully adjusting the probe laser power, the internal temperature is even lower than 350 K in high vacuum. In addition, we electrically drive the nanodiamond to rotate at a high angular velocity (up to 20 MHz). Microwave is applied for driving the electronic states of the NV center through a homemade bias-tee. We manage to trap a diamond and measure an Optically Detected Magnetic Resonance (ODMR) at a pressure of 10^-6 Torr which is limited by the setup. Our work is helpful for studying the spin-mechanical coupling and may provide an opportunity for the realization of quantum superposition at macroscopic scales.
A levitated non-spherical nanoparticle in a vacuum is ideal for studying quantum rotations and is an extremely sensitive torque and force detector. Here, we report optical levitation of a GHz rotating silica nanodumbbell in a vacuum at about 430 nm away from a sapphire surface. The rotating nanodumbbell near the surface demonstrate a torque sensitivity of (5.0 ± 1.1) × 10^(-26) NmHz^(−1/2) at room temperature. Moreover, we levitate a nanodumbbell near a gold nanograting and use it to probe the near-field intensity distribution beyond the optical diffraction limit. The system is promising to detect the Casimir torque.
An optically levitated nanoparticle in a vacuum is excellent for precision measurements. We have optically levitated silica nanodumbbells in a vacuum and driven them to rotate beyond 5 GHz. With an optically levitated nanorotor, we demonstrated a torque sensor with a record-high sensitivity [Nature Nanotechnology, 15, 89 (2020)]. Recently, we designed and fabricated an ultrathin metalens with a high numerical aperture (NA=0.88) and used it to levitate a nanoparticle in a vacuum [Optica, 8, 1359 (2021)]. Such a system will provide opportunities for on-chip sensing. In addition, we have trapped a nanodumbbell near a surface with a separation of less than one micrometer, and used it to demonstrate an optically levitated scanning probe microscope beyond the diffraction limit. Our work will be important for studying quantum surface interactions.
Spin defects in solids (e.g. diamond) have been widely used for quantum sensing of temperature and magnetic fields. The recent discovery of spin qubits in hexagonal boron nitride (hBN), a van der Waals material, provides new opportunities for quantum sensing. For example, spin qubits in hBN will be particularly suitable for studying 2D magnetic materials. However, the brightness and the contrast of boron vacancy spin defects in hBN are relatively low, which limit their applications in quantum sensing. Recently, we created spin defects in hBN by both femtosecond laser writing [ACS Photonics, 8, 994 (2021)] and ion implantation, and enhanced the brightness of hBN spin defects by a factor of 17 with gold surface plasmons [Nano Letters, 21, 7708 (2021)]. We also observed a record-high contrast of the optically detected magnetic resonance (ODMR) of hBN spin defects at room temperature. Our work show hBN spin defects are promising for quantum sensing.
An optically levitated nonspherical particle in a vacuum is great for torque sensing and rotational quantum mechanics. Recently, we optically levitated silica nanodumbbells in a vacuum and drove them to rotate beyond 5 GHz. With an optically levitated nanorotor, we demonstrated a torque sensor with a record-high sensitivity [Nature Nanotechnology, 15, 89 (2020)]. Such an ultrasensitive torque sensor will have the potential to detect the long-sought quantum vacuum friction. We also demonstrated 5D cooling and observed nonlinear dynamics of an optically levitated nanodumbbell in a vacuum. This work is an important step towards full quantum control of the rigid-body motion of a levitated nonspherical particle.
Recently, we optically levitated nanoparticles in vacuum and driven them to rotate up to 300 billion rpm (5 GHz) [J. Ahn, et al. Nature Nanotechnology 15, 89 (2020)]. We demonstrated ultrasensitive torque detection with an optically levitated nanoparticle in vacuum. This system will be promising to study quantum friction and other Casimir effects. We also calculated the vacuum frictional torque on a barium strontium titanate (BST) nanosphere near a BST surface, and found the vacuum friction can be enhanced by several orders with resonant photon tunneling.
Optically levitated nanoparticles in vacuum have great potentials in precision measurements, thermodynamics and macroscopic quantum mechanics. We have assembled and levitated silica nanodumbbells in high vacuum. With a circularly polarized laser, we have driven them to rotate beyond 1 GHz [J Ahn, et al. Phys. Rev. Lett., 121, 033603 (2018)]. With a linearly-polarized laser, we have observed its torsional vibration. Based on our experimental results, we proposed that this system can be used to study the coupling between the rotation of a nanoparticle and an electron spin [arXiv:1811.01641], and study the Casimir torque due to the angular momentum of quantum vacuum fluctuations [Phys. Rev. A, 96, 033843 (2017)]. With a levitated nanoparticle under drive, we also tested the differential fluctuation theorem and a generalized Jarzynski equality that is valid for arbitrary initial states [Phys. Rev. Lett. 120, 080602 (2018)]. Recently, we investigated the rotation of a levitated nanocluster to deepen our understanding of light-matter interaction.
Nonequilibrium processes of small systems are ubiquitous in physics, biology, and chemistry. Optical tweezers provide an ideal tool for controlling small systems to investigate nonequilibrium thermodynamics. Recently, we performed the first experimental test of the differential fluctuation theorem, using an optically levitated nanosphere in air in both underdamped and overdamped regimes, and in both spatial and velocity spaces [Phys. Rev. Lett., 120, 080602 (2018)]. We also experimentally realized the Feynman’s ratchet, using a colloidal particle in water confined in an optical tweezer array under feedback control. Feynman's ratchet is a microscopic machine in contact with two heat reservoirs that was proposed by Richard Feynman in 1960’s to illustrate the second law of thermodynamics. Despite broad interests, an experimental realization of Feynman's ratchet has not been reported before our work.
KEYWORDS: Point spread functions, Optical transfer functions, Imaging systems, 3D image processing, Objectives, Mirrors, Diffraction, Spectral resolution, Microscopy, 3D acquisition
Direct oblique plane imaging is a high-speed microscopy technique that observes a sample’s plane that is inclined to the focal plane of the microscope objective lens. This wide-field microscopy is suitable for a study of fast dynamics of living samples where the principle plane of interest is tilted to the focal plane. A way to implement this imaging technique is to use remote focusing together with a tilted mirror, which involves asymmetrical pupil function of the imaging system. We rigorously study the anisotropic resolving power of the oblique plane imaging using a vectorial diffraction theory. From the derived effective pupil function, we calculate vectorial point spread function (PSF) and optical transfer function (OTF). We show that the two-dimensional (2D) PSF of the direct oblique plane imaging is not merely an oblique crosssection of the 3D PSF of circular aperture system. Similarly, 2D OTF of the oblique plane imaging is different from 2D oblique projection of conventional 3D OTF in circular aperture system.
We report on experiments studying the Brownian motion of an optically trapped bead in air, and observe for the first
time the short-time regime of ballistic motion. Einstein predicted this effect in 1907, but said the experiment would be
impossible in practice. Our measurements were enabled by our development of a new detection system that is capable of
real-time tracking of the motion of a trapped bead on unprecedented short time scales and correspondingly small length
scales. We used the data to measure the average kinetic energy of a Brownian particle, and find good agreement with
the energy equipartition theorem of statistical mechanics. Measurement of the instantaneous velocity also allows us to
stably trap beads in vacuum, using active feedback to control and cool the center of mass motion to mK temperatures in
three dimensions. The system of an optically trapped bead in vacuum can serve as a testing ground for macroscopic
quantum superpositions and the role of decoherence. In the opposite extreme, a trapped bead in a fluid can be used to test
basic questions in statistical mechanics, and fluid dynamics on the smallest scales.
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