High-Q magnetic levitation and control of superconducting microspheres at millikelvin temperatures
- Author(s)
- Joachim Hofer, R. Gross, Gerard Higgins, Hans Huebl, Oliver F. Kieler, Reinhold Kleiner, Dieter Koelle, Philip Schmidt, Joshua A. Slater, Michael Trupke, Kevin Uhl, Thomas Weimann, Witlef Wieczorek, Markus Aspelmeyer
- Abstract
We report the levitation of a superconducting lead-tin sphere with 100 μm diameter (corresponding to a mass of 5.6 μg) in a static magnetic trap formed by two coils in an anti-Helmholtz configuration, with adjustable resonance frequencies up to 240 Hz. The center-of-mass motion of the sphere is monitored magnetically using a dc superconducting quantum interference device as well as optically and exhibits quality factors of up to 2.6×107. We also demonstrate 3D magnetic feedback control of the motion of the sphere. The setup is housed in a dilution refrigerator operating at 15 mK. By implementing a cryogenic vibration isolation system, we can attenuate environmental vibrations at 200 Hz by approximately 7 orders of magnitude. The combination of low temperature, large mass, and high quality factor provides a promising platform for testing quantum physics in previously unexplored regimes with high mass and long coherence times.
- Organisation(s)
- Quantum Optics, Quantum Nanophysics and Quantum Information
- External organisation(s)
- Österreichische Akademie der Wissenschaften (ÖAW), Chalmers University of Technology, Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften, Technische Universität München, Munich Center for Quantum Science and Technology (MCQST), Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt, Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen
- Journal
- Physical Review Letters
- Volume
- 131
- No. of pages
- 7
- ISSN
- 0031-9007
- Publication date
- 06-2023
- Peer reviewed
- Yes
- Austrian Fields of Science 2012
- 103025 Quantum mechanics
- Keywords
- ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Physics and Astronomy(all)
- Portal url
- https://ucris.univie.ac.at/portal/en/publications/highq-magnetic-levitation-and-control-of-superconducting-microspheres-at-millikelvin-temperatures(8ff73a65-b25b-4d77-8456-4630bfd9cb68).html