Motion (physics)

Local oscillator

Quantum mechanics

Amplification factor

Uncertainty principle

Quantum noise

Engineering

Displacement (psychology)

Zero-point energy

Economics

Amplifier

Classical mechanics

Observable

Statistical physics

Metrology

Phase noise

Quantum sensor

Physics

Psychology

Quantum dynamics

Optics

Position (finance)

Quantum technology

Psychotherapist

Electronic engineering

Coherent states

Quantum

Vackář oscillator

Sensitivity (control systems)

Quantum discord

Finance

Squeezed coherent state

Quantum measurement

CMOS

Optoelectronics

Open quantum system

Quantum metrology

Science

Detection of the weakest forces in nature is aided by increasingly sensitive measurements of the motion of mechanical oscillators. However, the attainable knowledge of an oscillator's motion is limited by quantum fluctuations that exist even if the oscillator is in its lowest possible energy state. We demonstrate a technique for amplifying coherent displacements of a mechanical oscillator with initial magnitudes well below these zero-point fluctuations. When applying two orthogonal squeezing interactions, one before and one after a small displacement, the displacement is amplified, ideally with no added quantum noise. We implemented this protocol with a trapped-ion mechanical oscillator and determined an increase by a factor of up to 7.3 (±0.3) in sensitivity to small displacements.

Quantum amplification of mechanical oscillator motion