Experimental realization and synchronization of a quantum van der Pol oscillator
Abstract
Classical self-sustained oscillators, that generate periodic motion without periodic external forcing, are ubiquitous in science and technology. The realization of nonclassical self-oscillators is an important goal of quantum physics. We here present the experimental implementation of a quantum van der Pol oscillator, a paradigmatic autonomous quantum driven-dissipative system with nonlinear damping, using a single trapped atom. We demonstrate the existence of a quantum limit cycle in phase space in the absence of a drive and the occurrence of quantum synchronization when the nonlinear oscillator is externally driven. We additionally show that synchronization can be enhanced with the help of squeezing perpendicular to the direction of the drive and, counterintuitively, linear dissipation. We also observe the bifurcation to a bistable phase-space distribution for large squeezing. Our results pave the way for the exploration of self-sustained quantum oscillators and their application to quantum technology.
Cite
@article{arxiv.2504.00751,
title = {Experimental realization and synchronization of a quantum van der Pol oscillator},
author = {Yi Li and Zihan Xie and Xiaodong Yang and Yue Li and Xingyu Zhao and Xu Cheng and Xinhua Peng and Jun Li and Eric Lutz and Yiheng Lin and Jiangfeng Du},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2504.00751},
year = {2025}
}
Comments
10 pages, 6 figures