Related papers: Optically driven ultra-stable nanomechanical rotor
The optical trapping of polymeric nanofibers and the characterization of the rotational dynamics are reported. A strategy to apply a torque to a polymer nanofiber, by tilting the trapped fibers using a symmetrical linear polarized Gaussian…
We study a nanofabricated silicon rod levitated in an optical trap. By manipulating the polarization of the light we gain full control over the ro-translational dynamics of the rod. We are able to trap both its centre-of-mass and align it…
We report on the injection locking of an optically levitated nanomechanical oscillator (a silica nanosphere) to resonant intensity modulations of an external optical signal. We explore the characteristic features of injection locking in…
Torque sensors such as the torsion balance enabled the first determination of the gravitational constant by Cavendish and the discovery of Coulomb's law. Torque sensors are also widely used in studying small-scale magnetism, the Casimir…
A recent experiment [W. A. Shelton {\emph{et\ al.}}, Phys.\ Rev.\ E {\bf{71}}, 036204 (2005)] measured the response of a nanorod trapped in a viscous fluid to the torque produced by an incident optical frequency electromagnetic wave. The…
Optomechanical transduction is demonstrated for nanoscale torsional resonators evanescently coupled to optical microdisk whispering gallery mode resonators. The on-chip, integrated devices are measured using a fully fiber-based system,…
Optically trapped nanospheres in high-vaccum experience little friction and hence are promising for ultra-sensitive force detection. Here we demonstrate measurement times exceeding $10^5$ seconds and zeptonewton force sensitivity with…
Using optical measurements, we demonstrate that the rotation of micron-scale graphene nanoplatelets levitated in a quadrupole ion trap in high vacuum can be frequency locked to an applied radio frequency (rf) electric field. Over time,…
The rapid development of micro- and nanooscillators in the past decade has led to the emergence of novel sensors that are opening new frontiers in both applied and fundamental science. The potential of these novel devices is, however,…
The small mass and high coherence of nanomechanical resonators render them the ultimate force probe, with applications ranging from biosensing and magnetic resonance force microscopy, to quantum optomechanics. A notorious challenge in these…
Using light to measure an object's motion is central to operating mechanical sensors that probe forces and fields. Cavity optomechanical systems embed mechanical resonators inside optical resonators. This enhances the sensitivity of…
Nanomechanical oscillators have been employed as transducers to measure force, mass and charge with high sensitivity. They are also used in opto- or electromechanical experiments with the goal of quantum control and phenomena of mechanical…
In optomechanical systems, the libration and rotation of nanoparticles offer profound insights for ultrasensitive torque measurement and macroscopic quantum superpositions. Achievements include transitioning libration to rotation up to 6…
The motion of a vibrating object is determined by the way it is held. This simple observation has long inspired string instrument makers to create new sounds by devising elegant string clamping mechanisms, whereby the distance between the…
Nano- and micromechanical oscillators with high quality (Q) factors have gained much attention for their potential application as ultrasensitive detectors. In contrast to micro-fabricated devices, optically trapped nanoparticles in vacuum…
Optical control of nanoscale objects has recently developed into a thriving field of research with far-reaching promises for precision measurements, fundamental quantum physics and studies on single-particle thermodynamics. Here, we…
Mechanical transduction of torque has been key to probing a number of physical phenomena, such as gravity, the angular momentum of light, the Casimir effect, magnetism, and quantum oscillations. Following similar trends as mass and force…
In the last ten years extraordinary results in time and frequency metrology have been demonstrated. Frequency-stabilization techniques for continuous-wave lasers and femto-second optical frequency combs have enabled a rapid development of…
High quality factor ($Q$) nanomechanical resonators have received a lot of attention for sensor applications with unprecedented sensitivity. Despite the large interest, few investigations into the frequency stability of high-$Q$ resonators…
We present a compact atomic clock interrogating ultracold 87Rb magnetically trapped on an atom chip. Very long coherence times sustained by spin self-rephasing allow us to interrogate the atomic transition with 85% contrast at 5 s Ramsey…