Date Published: May 1, 2024
Kanu Sinha, PI of the Quantum Optics and Open Quantum Systems Group has received a single-PI National Science Foundation Grant for "Engineering Quantum Fluctuation Phenomena in Nanoscale Quantum Systems." Nanoscale quantum optical systems enhance the efficacy of light-matter interactions by confining light in small regions, enabling various emerging quantum technological applications: from building single-photon devices to facilitating precision tests of fundamental physics. The research will address a critical challenge in nanoscale quantum systems posed by quantum fluctuations of the electromagnetic field. As a part of this project Sinha and group are developing a driven-dissipative Open Quantum Systems approach towards engineering fluctuation phenomena -- Casimir-Polder forces, dissipation, and decoherence -- in quantum systems at nanometric distances from surfaces. Key objectives include developing near-surface trapping and cooling schemes, guiding experiments on high-precision atomic diffraction measurements of Casimir-Polder forces, and analyzing fluctuation-induced decoherence in experiments with levitated dielectric nanospheres. Additionally, the project will train a diverse student workforce and develop new courses on Quantum Optics and Quantum Information. This work aims to advance both fundamental understanding and practical applications of quantum systems at the nanoscale. Read the latest update on this work, "Decoherence and Brownian motion of a polarizable particle near a surface"
(a) Connections between Brownian motion of the classical and quantized center-of-mass motion of a polarizable pointparticle immersed in a thermal EM environment. For the classical center of mass, momentum diffusion D and thermal drag coefficient ξ [5, 7] are related by the fluctuation-dissipation relation (FDR) (D = 2kBT ξ). Similarly, the decoherence rate (Λ) and dissipation (Γ) for the quantized center-of-mass are connected via the FDR (Λ = 2kBTMΓ) [11]. Additionally, the centerof-mass decoherence rate Λ is related to the momentum diffusion D via the relation D = 2ℏ
2Λ [10]. Schematic of a polarizable particle interacting with a thermal field near a planar medium depicting its: (b) quantized center-of-mass decoherence and (c)
increase in momentum uncertainty.