[pt] Nas últimas décadas, interações entre luz e matéria provaram ser uma ferramenta versátil para medir e controlar sistemas mecânicos, encontrando aplicações desde detecção de forças até resfriamento ao estado fundamental de nanoesferas. Nesta dissertação, nós apresentamos algumas das ferramentas teóricas necessárias para descrever interferômetros, pinças ópticas e cavidades ópticas, constituintes fundamentais da caixa de ferramentas optomecânica. No regime clássico, estudamos o campo eletromagnético circulante em interferômetros lineares e mostramos como encontrar o campo resultante transmitido, apresentando exemplos de cavidades ópticas com um número arbitrário de elementos dispersivos. Nós também estudamos as forças de pressão de radiação que feixes ópticos podem imprimir em partículas dielétricas e mostramos como o aprisionamento óptico 3D é possível em focos claros e escuros. A potencial aplicação para captura de organismos vivos é estudada. No regime quântico, nós estudamos como o campo ressonante de cavidades ópticas pode interagir de forma dispersiva com diferentes sistemas mecânicos, dando origem a uma dinâmica quântica fechada emaranhante. Ao considerar uma nuvem ultra resfriada de átomos interagindo com dois modos ópticos, mostramos o surgimento de emaranhamento óptico que evidencia a natureza não-clássica do conjunto atômico macroscópico. A viabilidade experimental deste experimento com tecnologia atual é estudada. Além disso, nós investigamos o cenário em que uma pinça óptica posiciona uma partícula levitada dentro de uma cavidade óptica de forma que os fótons da pinça espalhados pela partícula possam sobreviver dentro da cavidade. Já foi demonstrado que esta interação, chamada de espalhamento coerente, pode resfriar nanopartículas até números de fônons menores do que um, atingindo profundamente o regime quântico. Nós mostramos que esta interação também pode gerar emaranhamento mecânico entre muitas partículas levitadas, mesmo em um ambiente a temperatura de 300K. Um resumo sobre sistemas de variáveis contínuas e a caixa de ferramentas numérica customizada usada ao longo deste trabalho são apresentados. / [en] Over the last decades, light-matter interactions have proven to be a versatile tool to measure and control mechanical systems, finding application from force sensing to ground state cooling of nanospheres. In this dissertation, we present some of the theoretical tools that describe interferometers, optical tweezers and optical cavities, fundamental constituents of the optomechanical toolbox. In the classical regime, we study the circulating electromagnetic field within linear interferometers and show how one can find the resulting transmitted field, presenting examples of optical cavities with an arbitrary number of dispersive elements. Moreover, we also study the radiation-pressure forces that optical beams can imprint on dielectric particles and show how 3D optical trapping is possible in both bright and dark focuses. Potential application to trapping of living organisms is studied. In the quantum regime, we study how the resonant field of optical cavities can dispersivelly interact with different mechanical systems, giving rise to an entangling closed quantum dynamics. When considering an ultracold cloud of atoms interacting with two optical modes, we show the emergence of optical entanglement which evidences the nonclassical nature of the macroscopic atomic ensemble. The experimental feasibility of this experiment with current technology is studied. Furthermore, we investigate the scenario where a finely tuned optical tweezer places a trapped particle inside an optical cavity such that the tweezer s scattered photons can survive inside the cavity. This so-called coherent scattering interaction has been shown to cool nanoparticles to phonon numbers lower than one deep into the quantum regime. We show that it also can generate mechanical entanglement between many levitated particles even in a room temperature environment. An overview on continuous variable systems and the custom numerical toolbox used throughout this work are presented.

<p>  </p> <p>Low-dimensional materials (LDMs) are substances that have at least one dimension with thicknesses in the nanometer (nm) scale. They have attracted tremendous research interests in many fields due to their unique properties that are absent in bulk materials. For instance, in quantum optics/photonics, LDMs offer unique advantages for effective light extraction and coupling with photonic/plasmonic structures; in chemistry, the large surface-to-volume ratio of LDMs enables more efficient chemical processes that are useful for numerous applications. In this thesis, several types of LDMs are studied and engineered with the goal to improve their impact in plasmonic and quantum photonic applications. Two-dimensional hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) is receiving increasing attention in quantum optics/photonics as it hosts various types of quantum emitters that are promising for quantum computing, quantum sensing, etc. In the first study, we explore and demonstrate a radiation- and lithography-free route to deterministically create single-photon emitters (SPEs) in hBN by nanoindentation with an atomic force microscopy. The method applies to hBN on flat, chip-compatible silicon-based substrates, and an SPE yield of up to 36% is achieved. This marks an important step toward the deterministic creation and integration of hBN SPEs with photonic and plasmonic devices. In the second study, the recently discovered negatively charged boron vacancy (V_B^-) spin defect in hBN is investigated. V_B^- defects are optically active with spin properties suitable for sensing at extreme scales. To resolve the low brightness issue of V_B^- defects, we couple them with an optimized nano-patch antenna structure and observe emission intensity enhancement that is nearly an order of magnitude higher than previous reports. Our achievements pave the way for the practical integration of V_B^- defects for quantum sensing. Zero-dimensional nanodiamond is another important host material for solid-state SPEs. Specifically, the negatively charged silicon vacancy (SiV) center in nanodiamonds exhibits optical properties that are suitable for quantum information technologies. In the third study, we, for the first time, demonstrate the creation of single SiV centers in nanodiamonds with an average size of ~20 nm using ion implantation. Stable single-photon emission is confirmed at room temperature, with zero-phonon line (ZPL) wavelengths in the range of 730 – 803 nm. This confirms the feasibility of single-photon emitter creation in nanodiamonds with ion implantation, and offers new opportunities to integrate diamond color centers for hybrid quantum photonic systems. Finally, we have also explored using metal-semiconductor hybrid nanoparticles for plasmon-enhanced photocatalysis. A core-shell nanoparticle structure is synthesized, with titanium nitride (TiN) and titanium dioxide (TiO₂) being the core and shell material respectively. It is observed that such core-shell nanoparticles effectively catalyze the generation of single oxygen molecules under 700-nm laser excitation. The main mechanism behind is the hot electron injection from the TiN core to the TiO₂ shell. Considering the chemical inertness and low cost of TiN, TiN@TiO₂ NPs hold great potential as plasmonic photosensitizers for photodynamic therapy and other photocatalytic applications at red-to-near-infrared (NIR) wavelengths.</p>

<p>Developing a hybrid platform that combines nanophotonic circuits and atomic physic may provide new chip-scale devices for quantum application or versatile tools for exploring photon-mediated long-range quantum systems. However, this challenging project demands the excellent integration of cold atom trapping and manipulation technology with cutting-edge nanophotonics circuit design and fabrication. In this thesis project, we aim to develop a novel suspended membrane platform that serves as a quantum interface between laser-cooled, trapped atoms in an ultrahigh vacuum and the photons guided in the nanophotonic circuits based on high-quality silicon nitride microring resonators fabricated on a transparent membrane substrate. </p> <p><br></p> <p>The proposed platform meets the stringent performance requirements imposed by nanofabrication and optical physics in an ultra-high vacuum. These include a high yield rate for mm-scale suspended dielectric photonic devices, minimization of the surface roughness to achieve ultrahigh-optical quality, complete control of optical loss/in-coupling rate to achieve critical photon coupling to a microring resonator, and high-efficiency waveguide optical input/output coupler in an ultrahigh vacuum environment. This platform is compatible with laser-cooled and trapped cold atoms. The experimental demonstration of trapping and imaging single atoms on a photonic resonator circuit using optical tweezers has been demonstrated. Our circuit design can potentially reach a record-high cooperativity parameter C$>$500 for single atom-photon coupling, which is of high importance in realizing a coherent quantum nonlinear optical platform and holds great promise as an on-chip atom-cavity QED platform.</p>

<p><br></p><p dir="ltr">Achieving high optical resolution imaging is one of the most important goals in the history of optics. However, due to finite aperture sizes, a diffraction limit is imposed on optical imaging. Therefore, the Rayleigh limit, which describes the minimum separation at which two point sources are resolvable, has served as a critical limit in optical resolution. Many methods have been studied to break the limit and succeed in resolving nearby sources below the Rayleigh criterion but only beyond a certain distance. Furthermore, it has been demonstrated that quantum-inspired optics techniques maintain consistent variance in estimating the separation of point sources even at low separations, but only with prior information like a known number of sources and equal brightness. Therefore, achieving the ultimate optical resolution remains an open question. This thesis will conclusively address this challenge considering real-world scenarios, i.e., no prior information or controlled lab environment as well as low signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), turbulence, and other practical challenges.</p><p><br></p><p dir="ltr">In information theory, the estimation variance of a random parameter can be quantified using the inverse of Fisher information. By maximizing the Fisher information, one can minimize the variance in estimation. In my thesis, we have shown that the measurement can be accelerated without sacrificing optical resolution using the adaptive mode so that quantum Fisher information per detected photon is maximized. The notable attribute that sets it apart from other quantum-inspired methods is that it does not require any prior information, making it more feasible for practical application. We have further shown that the space domain awareness (SDA) challenge can be effectively handled with the aforementioned approach with a very limited photon budget and even in the presence of turbulence. Toward solving the challenges, we designed a photon statistics-based direct imaging method that can also serve as a baseline method for quantum optics. In my thesis, atmospheric turbulence is also deeply explored and the effect is mitigated using reinforcement learning.</p><p><br></p>

L'optomécanique est la science des interactions entre la lumière et les mouvements mécaniques. Ce rapport de thèse décrit des expériences réalisées avec des microdisques fabriqué dans différents résonateurs semi-conducteurs III-V: l'Arséniure de Gallium (GaAs), l'Arséniure d'Aluminium Gallium (AlGaAs) et l'Arséniure d'Indium Phosphide (InGaP). Ces matériaux sont compatibles avec les fonctionnalités de l’optoélectronique et procurent un couplage optomécanique géant. Pour améliorer les performances des résonateurs en GaAs, nous avons développé des méthodes de traitement de surface permettant de réduire la dissipation optique par un facteur dix et ainsi d'atteindre un facteur de qualité de six millions. En plus de ces études sur le GaAs, nous avons réalisés une étude comparative des interactions optomecaniques dans des microdisques d'InGaP et d'AlGaAs, et nous avons mis en évidences leurs résonances optomécaniques. Finalement, nous avons réalisé des mesures de force avec des résonateurs en GaAs, démontrant un nouveau principe de détection basé sur notre étude de leur la trajectoire dans l'espace de phase et leur bruit de phase / Optomechanics studies the interaction between light and mechanical motion. This PhD thesis reports on optomechanical experiments carried with miniature disk resonators fabricated out of distinct III-V semiconductors: Gallium Arsenide (GaAs), Aluminium Gallium Arsenide (AlGaAs) and Indium Gallium Phosphide (InGaP). These materials are compliant with optoelectronics functionalities and provide giant optomechanical coupling. In order to boost performances of GaAs resonators, we implemented surface control techniques and obtained a ten-fold reduction of optical dissipation, attaining a Q of six million. On top of GaAs, we performed a comparative investigation of optomechanical interactions in InGaP and AlGaAs disk resonators, and demonstrated their operation as optomechanical oscillators. Finally, we carried out optomechanical force sensing experiments with GaAs resonators, analyzing a new sensing principle in light of the phase space trajectory and phase noise of the corresponding oscillators

Ce travail consiste en l'étude de phénomènes optomécaniques en d'interaction spin-orbite de la lumière, en utilisant des milieux inhomogènes et anisotropes comme systèmes modèles, différents types de systèmes matériels étant considérés en pratique. En particulier,nous avons utilisé des défauts de cristaux liquides nématiques pour lesquels nous avons identifié expérimentalement d'un couple optique de nature spin-orbite conduisant à des modifications de champ d'orientation moléculaire du cristal liquide. Aussi, grâce à l'utilisation de verres nanostructurés artificiellement permettant un contrôle de l'interaction spin-orbite à la demande,nous mettons en évidence un phénomène de couple optique inverse qui est l'analogue angulaire des forces optiques dites négatives. Cet effet optomécanique contre-intuitif est démontré expérimentalement, d'une manière indirecte, grâce à la mise en place de diverses expériences de décalage en fréquence Doppler associées aux degrés de liberté de rotation. Enfin, nous présentons nos tentatives en vue de réaliser expérimentalement l'observation directe d'un couple optique inverse. Plusieurs options sont envisagées, qui comprennent à la fois des approches à base de matériaux métalliques ou diélectriques. De manière générale, cela implique la miniaturisation des systèmes considérés, ce qui est effectué à la fois à l'échelle millimétrique et micrométrique. / This work focuses on angular optomechanics driven by the spin-orbit interaction of light, using inhomogeneous and anisotropic media as model systems and different kinds of such material systems are considered in practice. In particular, we use nematic liquid crystal defects and report on the direct experimental observation of spin-orbit optical radiation torque that leads to distortion of molecular orientation pattern of the defects. Then, by using solid-state spin-orbit couplers of arbitrary order made of artificially nanostructured glasses, we unveil an optical torque reversal phenomenon that is the angular counterpart of so-called optical negative forces. This counterintuitive optomechanical effect is experimentally retrieved, in an indirect manner, via rotational Doppler frequency shift experiments. Finally, we report on our attempts to build up an experimental framework allowing the direct observation of optical torque reversal. Several options are considered, which include both metallic and dielectric approaches and involve sample miniaturization that has been explored at the millimeter and micrometer scale.

[ES] La optomecánica de cavidades se ocupa de la interacción entre la luz y la materia a través del efecto de presión de radiación cuando las ondas ópticas y mecánicas implicadas están confinadas en una cavidad. En estos sistemas optomecánicos, la interacción entre fotones y fonones da lugar a multitud de fenómenos en función de las condiciones en las que se excita el sistema. En particular, se pueden obtener dos regímenes distintos en los que se puede, o bien absorber fonones (denominado como enfriamiento de la cavidad), o bien éstos se pueden amplificar (régimen conocido como calentamiento de la cavidad). El primer régimen puede usarse, por ejemplo, para reducir la ocupación térmica del sistema y se usa comúnmente para aplicaciones relativas al procesado de información cuántica. Sin embargo, la amplificación de fonones, que puede ser desarrollada a temperatura ambiente, ha permitido conseguir alcanzar incluso las condiciones necesarias para obtener láseres de fonones, lo cual permite poder usar esta característica como elemento de referencia en aplicaciones relativas al procesado de señales de radiofrecuencia (RF). En esta tesis se aborda el confinamiento simultáneo y la interacción de fotones y fonones en estructuras periódicas y en guías no suspendidas desarrolladas en sistemas CMOS compatibles basados en tecnología de silicio. A través del estudio experimental de estas estructuras periódicas, hemos demostrado que las cavidades optomecánicas pueden actuar como elementos clave en el dominio de la fotónica de microondas, donde todo el procesado de la información puede ser realizado en el dominio óptico a través de la manipulación de fonones en este sistema. En particular, mostramos que un solo oscilador optomecánico puede actuar tanto como un oscilador local y un mezclador de RF, y éste puede operar como un conversor de frecuencias de señales de cadenas de datos reales. Para mejorar esta funcionalidad, también se demuestra que es posible obtener tanto peines de frecuencias ópticos así como múltiples modos mecánicos confinados, aumentando así su rendimiento. Por otro lado, con el objetivo de poder solventar las posibles limitaciones de estos sistemas, en esta tesis también se exploran diferentes configuraciones que permiten la interacción acusto-óptica simultánea en la misma estructura. Específicamente, se analiza la interacción optomecánica en discos de alto índice que soportan estados cuasi-ligados en el continuo así como una propuesta de guías no suspendidas que soportan altas ganancias de Brillouin. Este último estudio debería permitir el desarrollo de sistemas optomecánicos no suspendidos donde el problema de la pérdida de fonones hacia el sustrato se resuelva, hecho que permitiría enormemente simplificar la fabricación de estos sistemas optomecánicos en chips de silicio así como su uso en múltiples aplicaciones. / [CA] L'optomecànica de cavitats s'ocupa de la interacció entre la llum i la matèria a través de l'efecte de pressió de radiació quan les ones òptiques i mecàniques implicades estan confinades en una cavitat. En aquests sistemes optomecànics, la interacció entre fotons i fonons dona lloc a multitud de fenòmens en funció de les condicions de les condicions en les quals s'excita el sistema. En particular, es poden obtindre dos règims diferents en els quals es pot, o bé, absorbir fonons (denominat com a refredament de la cavitat), o bé, es poden amplificar (règim conegut com a calfament de la cavitat). El primer règim pot usar-se, per exemple, per a reduir l'ocupació tèrmica del sistema i s'usa comunament per a aplicacions relatives al processament d'informació quàntica. No obstant això, l'amplificació de fonons, que pot ser desenvolupada a temperatura ambient, ha permés aconseguir fins i tot les condicions necessàries per a obtindre làsers de fonons, la qual cosa permet poder usar aquesta característica com a element de referència en aplicacions relatives al processament de senyals de radiofreqüència (RF). En aquesta tesi s'aborda el confinament simultani i la interacció de fotons i fonons en estructures periòdiques i en guies no suspeses en sistemes CMOS compatibles basats en tecnologia de silici. A través de l'estudi experimental d'aquestes estructures periòdiques, hem demostrat que les cavitats optomecàniques poden actuar com a elements clau en el domini de la fotònica de microones, on tot el processament de la informació pot ser realitzat en el domini òptic a través de la manipulació de fonons en aquest sistema. En particular, vam mostrar que només un oscil·lador optomecànic pot actuar tant com un oscil·lador local i un mesclador de RF, i aquest pot operar com un convertidor de freqüències de senyals de cadenes de dades reals. Per a millorar aquesta funcionalitat, també es demostra que és possible obtindre tant tren de freqüències òptics així com múltiples modes mecànics confinats, augmentant així el seu rendiment. D'altra banda, amb l'objectiu de poder solucionar les possibles limitacions d'aquests sistemes, en aquesta tesi també s'exploren diferents configuracions que permeten la interacció acusto-òptica simultània en la mateixa estructura. Específicament, s'analitza la interacció optomecànica en discos d'alt índex que suporten estats quasi-lligats en el continu així com una proposta de guies no suspeses que suporten altes ganancies de Brillouin. Aquest últim estudi hauria de permetre el desenvolupament de sistemes optomecànics no suspesos on el problema de la pèrdua de fonons cap al substrat es resolga, fet que permetria enormement simplificar la fabricació d'aquests sistema optomecànics en xips de silici així com el seu ús en diverses aplicacions. / [EN] Cavity optomechanics deals with the interaction of light and matter through the radiation pressure effect, when the involved optical and mechanical waves are confined in a cavity. In optomechanical systems, photon and phonon interaction give rise to a plethora of phenomena as a function of the driving conditions of the system. Relative to that, two distinctive regimes can be obtained which enable either the absorption of phonons (cavity cooling) or their amplification (cavity heating). The first regime can be used to reduce the thermal occupancy of the system and it is commonly used for quantum processing information applications. However, the amplification of phonons, which can be performed at room temperature, has enabled to even reach phonon lasing conditions, a feature that could be used as a reference element for RF processing applications. In this thesis, we address the simultaneous confinement and interaction of photons and phonons in periodic structures and unreleased waveguides on CMOS-compatible silicon-based technology. Throughout the experimental study of those periodic structures, we demonstrate that optomechanical cavities can perform as key blocks in the microwave photonics domain where all the information processing can be performed in the optical domain through phonon manipulation. In particular, we show that a single optomechanical oscillator can perform as both a local oscillator and an RF mixer, and it can operate as a frequency-converted of real data stream signals. To improve its performance, it is also demonstrated that optical frequency combs can be obtained by means of this system and multiple mechanical mode confinement can also be achieved, thus improving the functionality of the system. On the other hand, in order to fulfill the possible limitations of those systems, we explore different configurations enabling the simultaneous acousto-optic interaction together into the same structure. Especially, optomechanical interaction in high-index disks supporting quasi-bound states in the continuum is addressed, as well as a proposal of unreleased waveguides supporting strong Brillouin gains is also reported. The last one should lead to unreleased optomechanical interacting systems where the issue of phonon leakage into the substrate is solved, which could enormously simplify the fabrication of optomechanical systems in silicon chips as well as their practical use in multiple applications. / This work has been carried out under the framework of the H2020 FET-Open EU project PHENOMEN. This Thesis was also supported by the Programa de Ayudas de Investigación y Desarrollo (PAID-01-16) de la Universitat Politècnica de València / Mercadé Morales, L. (2021). Phonons Manipulation in Silicon Chips Using Cavity Optomechanics [Tesis doctoral]. Universitat Politècnica de València. https://doi.org/10.4995/Thesis/10251/171461 / TESIS

Depuis plusieurs années, le département Temps-Fréquence de l’institut FEMTO-ST mène une étude sur le comportement des résonateurs à ondes acoustiques de volume à énergie piégée dans des cristaux à quartz à température cryogénique, typiquement proche de 4 K. Les performances en termes de coefficient de qualité mécanique relevé à ces températures, plusieurs milliards à quelques dizaines de MHz, font des cavités acoustiques en quartz de bons candidats pour des sources de fréquences cryogéniques ultrastables.Les travaux présentés dans ce manuscrit s’inscrivent dans la continuité de ce programme d’étude. Ils visent à consolider l’intérêt du quartz mais aussi à envisager des solutions alternatives à base de matériaux à très faibles pertes acoustiques mais non piézoélectriques pour lesquels l’excitation optique est une alternative crédible. Les présents travaux peuvent être résumés en trois parties majeures :- La première partie a été réalisée dans le but de déterminer une coupe de quartz possédant un point d’inversion sur sa caractéristique fréquence-température aux températures cryogéniques. La seule régulation de température du résonateur d’une source de fréquence ultrastable est en effet insuffisante sans l’existence d’un tel point qui doit servir de point de fonctionnement à la régulation thermique. La recherche d’une coupe compensée a nécessité une campagne préliminaire de mesure des coefficients de température des coefficients élastiques du matériau, inconnus à basses températures. Il a alors été possible, à partir de la connaissance de ces coefficients, d’identifier par le calcul puis de réaliser une coupe remplissant les conditions recherchées.- La seconde partie a pour objectif de faire la preuve de concept consistant à utiliser une cavité acoustique en quartz en cavité optique. Dans sa version de base, le résonateur à quartz à onde de volume piégée est plan-convexe (pour assurer le piégeage) et à électrodes (métalliques pour assurer l’excitation électrique !) déposées sur chacune de ses faces. Il est démontré, théoriquement et expérimentalement, qu’une telle géométrie fonctionne en cavité optique, avec son avantage de simplicité mais avec ses limites. Cette structure de base doit être mise à profit pour le couplage optomécanique abordé en troisième partie et constitue le socle de conception de dispositifs optomécaniques plus performants.- La troisième partie est consacrée à l’évaluation de la pertinence du couplage optomécanique de tels dispositifs fonctionnant à température cryogénique. Une étude portant sur la quantification théorique du couplage optomécanique que peut atteindre une telle cavité a été réalisée. / For a few years, the Time and Frequency department in FEMTO-ST Insitute has been leading research about the behavior of Bulk Acoustic Wave (BAW) trapped in quartz crystal at cryogenic temperatures (near 4K).The measured quality factor are around a few billions at few tens of MHz for such temperatures. Acoustical quartz cavities are therefore good candidates for ultrastable cryogenic frequency sources. The work presented here is in the natural continuation of the research cited above. They aim at strenghtening the interest for quartz crystal, but also to consider alternative solutions with non-piezoelectric material with very-low acoustical losses, for which optical excitation is an option. The following work can be summed up in three main parts:- The first part is about the determination of a quartz crystal cut for which a turnover point exists in the frequency-temperature curve in the cryogenic region. Indeed, it is not enough to barely control the temperature in an ultrastable frequency source. Such a turnover point needs to be the operation point for thermal regulation. Searching a compensated cut arose the need for a preliminary measurements campaign of thermal coefficients of elastics coefficients of the material, which were unknown at low temperature. It was then possible, based on these coefficients, to calculate and even realize a cut fulfilling the required condition.- The second part had the objective to demonstrate conceptually that using a quartz acoustical cavity as an optical cavity was feasible. In its basic scheme, a BAW quartz resonator is plano-convex (to ensure the trapping of the acoustic wave) and has electrodes (metal-made to ensure electrical excitation) deposited on each face. It has been demonstrated, both theoretically and experimentally, that such a geometry works fine as an optical cavity, with its corresponding advantages and limitations. This scheme is used for the optomechanical coupling discussed in the third part and constitutes the very base for more efficient optomechanical devices.- The third part is dedicated to the evaluation of how efficient will such devices be while functioning at cryogenic temperature. A theoretical quantification of the optomechanical coupling that these cavities might reach is also presented.

With the increase in speculation about the nature of our universe, there has been a growing need to find the truth about Dark Matter. Recent research shows that the Planck-Mass range could be a well-motivated space to probe for the detection of Dark Matter through gravitational coupling. This thesis dives into the possibility of doing the same in two parts. The first part lays out the analysis framework that would sense such an interaction, while the second part outlines a prototype experiment that when scaled up using quantum optomechanical sensors would serve as the skeleton to perform the analysis with.

<p>  </p> <p>A harmonic oscillator is a ubiquitous tool in various disciplines of engineering and physics for sensing and energy transduction. The degrees of freedom, low noise oscillation, and efficient input-output coupling are important metrics when designing sensors and transducers using such oscillators. The ultimate examples of such oscillators are quantum mechanical oscillators coherently transducing information or energy. Atoms are oscillators whose degrees of freedom can be controlled and probed coherently by means of light. Elegant techniques developed during the last few decades have enabled us to use atoms, for example, to build exquisite quantum sensors such as clocks with the precision of <1 second error over the lifetime of the universe, to store and transduce information of various forms and also to develop quantum processors. Similar to atoms, mechanical oscillators can also be controlled ultimately to their single vibrational quanta and be used for similar sensing and transduction applications.</p> <p><br></p> <p>In this thesis, we explore both atomic and mechanical systems and develop a toolbox to build an effective atom-light interface and light-oscillator interface for controlling such atomic and mechanical oscillators and use them in sensing and storage applications. Primarily, we study two disparate platforms: 1) rare-earth ions in solids integrated into photonic chips as a compact and heterogeneous platform and 2) nanoscopic and macroscopic oscillators interfaced with light and magnetic field to isolate them from environmental noise. </p> <p><br></p> <p>Rare earth (RE) ions in crystals have been identified as robust optical centers and promising candidates for quantum communication and transduction applications. Lithium niobate (LN), a novel crystalline host of RE ions, is considered as a viable material for photonic system integration because of its electro-optic and integration capability. This thesis first experimentally reports the activation and characterization of LN crystals implanted with Yb and Er ions and describes their scalable integration with a silicon photonic chip with waveguide and resonator structures. The evanescent coupling of light emitted from Er ions with optical modes of waveguide and microcavity and modified photoluminescence (PL) of Er ions from the integrated on-chip Er:LN-Si-SiN photonic device with quality factor of 104 have been observed at room temperature. This integrated platform can ultimately enable developing quantum memory and provide a path to integrate more photonic components on a single chip for applications in quantum communication and transduction.</p> <p><br></p> <p>Optomechanical systems are also considered as candidates for light storage and sensing. In this thesis, we also present results of the theoretical study of coherent light storage in an array of nanomechanical resonators. The majority of the thesis is focusing on an optomechanical sensing experiment based on levitation. An oscillator well isolated from environmental noise can be used to sense force, inertia, torque, and magnetic field with high sensitivity as the interaction with these quantities can change the amplitude or frequency of the oscillator’s vibration, which can be accurately measured by light. It has been proposed that such levitated macroscopic objects could be used as quantum sensors and transducers at their quantum ground states. They are also proposed as a platform to test fundamental physics such as detecting gravitational waves, observing macroscopic quantum entanglement, verifying the spontaneous collapse models, and searching for dark matter.</p> <p><br></p> <p>In particular, we consider superconducting levitation of macroscopic objects in vacuum whose positions are measured by light. We build an optomechanical platform based on a levitated small high reflective (HR)-coated mirror above a superconductor disk. We use this levitated mirror at ambient conditions to detect the magnetic field with a sensitivity on the order of <em>pT/sqrt(Hz).</em> Moreover, the levitated mirror is used as the end mirror of a Fabry–Pérot cavity to create an optical resonance that could be used to study coherent radiation pressure forces. The platform provides a sensitive tool to measure the various forces exerted on the mirror and it offers the possibility of the coherent optical trapping of macroscopic objects and precision gravity sensing. Moreover, we study the nonlinear dissipation and mode coupling of a levitated HR-coated magnetic mirror above a superconducting disk in vacuum conditions. We observe that by exciting one vibrational mode of the mirror, the vibrational noise of another mode can be significantly suppressed by a factor of 60. We attribute this unique noise suppression mechanism to the mode coupling and nonlinear dissipation caused by the driven magnetic inhomogeneity of the levitated object. Such a suppression mechanism can enable cooling certain modes independent of their detection and position in the spectrum, which may be promising for precision sensing applications.</p>