An N-loop potential energy model for levitated mm-scale magnets in cm-scale superconducting coaxial microwave resonators

The levitation of a macroscopic object within a superconducting resonator provides a unique and novel platform to study optomechanics, quantum information, and gravitational wave detection. Existing mirror-method and single-loop models for calculating magnet levitation are insufficient for predicting the position and motion of the levitated magnet. If the cavity-magnet interaction is modeled using a large number of smaller surface current loops, one can quantitatively model the dynamics of the levitation of the magnet within the cavity. The magnet's most-likely position and orientation can be predicted for non-trivial cavity geometries and cavity orientations. Knowing the potential energy landscape within the cavity configuration also provides a means to estimate the resonant mechanical frequencies at which the levitated magnet vibrates, and enables tailoring the cavity design for specific outcomes.