114 lines
8.2 KiB
Markdown
114 lines
8.2 KiB
Markdown
---
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title: "LOTIS: Levitated Optomechanical Technologies In Space"
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linkTitle: LOTIS
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funder: "UK Space Agency"
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funder_url: "https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/uk-space-agency"
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weight: 20
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---
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LOTIS is a [UK Space Agency](https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/uk-space-agency) funded project, through their [Enabling Technologies Programme](https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/enabling-technologies-programme), to develop levitated optomechanics for satellite applications.
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The project is led by Dr James Bateman (Swansea) with partners [Dr Daniel Oi (Strathclyde)](https://www.strath.ac.uk/staff/oidanieldr/) and [Prof. Animesh Datta (Warwick)](https://warwick.ac.uk/fac/sci/physics/staff/academic/animeshdatta/).
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## Project description
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Optomechanics is an emerging platform for quantum science and technology which controls and
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measures mechanical modes of nanoscale objects with light. Levitated optomechanics uses individual,
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optically levitated nanoparticles as the mechanical mode and promises applications from precision force
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measurement to quantum information processing and tests of fundamental physics.
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Optomechanics, more generally, includes micro-cantilevers, toroidal resonators, and silicon nitride
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nanobeams, offering a wealth of technologies which exploit the coherent interaction of light with the
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mechanical motion of nanoscale objects. Some of these systems have been cooled to their quantum
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mechanical ground state and theoretical and experimental work is driving fast towards demonstrating
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uniquely quantum properties such as entanglement and Schrödinger-cat states [Kanari-Naish 2022].
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Levitated Optomechanics offers additional opportunities because the mechanical mode is exceptionally
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well isolated from the environment. These mesoscopic systems are far larger than what we would normally
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consider the quantum domain but can nevertheless be driven into quantum mechanical states [Delić 2020],
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manipulated into squeezed states [Rashid 2016], and there is a clear strategy towards generating and
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observing stationary optomechanical entanglement [Magrini 2022].
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Cold atom technologies have demonstrated in recent years that these quantum effects are not just
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laboratory curiosities but can become a core sensing technology for terrestrial [Phillips 2022] and
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spaceborne applications [Carraz 2014]. These devices use matter-wave interferometers which are
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sensitive to inertial forces and gravity and offer a performance which, even at this early stage, is competitive
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with the best traditional gravimeters [Devani 2020]. The CASPA-ADM Mission [Siemes 2022] will bring this
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technology to the specific challenge of measuring the thermospheric mass density in a free-flying 6U
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CubeSat mission.
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Matter-wave interferometric sensitivity, such as to inertial and gravitational forces, depends on the mass
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and spatial superposition separation. Larger mass quantum objects are possible with levitated
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optomechanics than with cold atom technologies, by a factor $\sim10^6$. Possible schemes include near-field
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matter-wave interferometry [Bateman 2014] and non-linear cavity optomechanical coupling [Qvarfort 2018].
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Levitated Optomechanics offers complementary measurement modalities and hybrid devices are feasible.
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The MAQRO Collaboration, which includes around 50 scientists and engineers
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from across Europe, the USA, and Australia, identified the challenges to realising quantum levitated
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optomechanics in space. Recent studies of this proposed mission include the European Space Agency's
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Concurrent Design Facility study of the MAQRO Mission [MAQRO CDF 2018] and a summary is available
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in the NASA BPS 2023 Decadal Survey [Kaltenbaek 2022].
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The challenges identified by the ESA CDF Study of MAQRO include the stability of free-space optics, drag-
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free requirements, and cryogenics, many of which are not required for terrestrial levitated optomechanics
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and have been solved in principle by other missions, notably LISA Pathfinder and JWST. There remain
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challenges specific to levitated optomechanics and these are primarily the sourcing and conditioning of
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nanoparticles for loading into a focused laser beam at the centre of levitated optomechanical apparatus.
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LOTIS will address the specific levitated optomechanics challenges: Storage & dispensing (SD), Capture & conditioning
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(CC), and Optomechanical trapping (OT).
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The underpinning technologies of current levitated optomechanics studies have been developed for terrestrial,
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ambient-pressure, laboratory environments, where ample space, power, and heat dissipation is available.
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Much like the evolution seen in cold atom systems, it is by developing these technologies that we will
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enable a transition of levitated optomechanics from laboratory-based demonstrations into a useful space-
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based sensing platform.
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The principal challenge of the nanoparticle source is that the intermolecular forces between
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surfaces are very strong compared with the inertia of a typical nanoparticle. Consequently extremely high
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surface accelerations $\sim10^7$g are needed to liberate nanoparticles which are adhered to a substrate. LOTIS
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will explore adapting several distinct lab-based technologies which routinely achieve this goal so that they
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are suitable for inclusion on a small (CubeSat scale) satellite mission.
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Nanoparticles liberated from a surface, particularly if done so under high vacuum conditions, may require
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some pre-capture or conditioning before loading into the optomechanical laser trap. LOTIS will
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explore technologies to achieve this including adapting ion traps, and using several unique features of levitated optomechanics including that time-scales for their motion permit closed-loop feedback using fast electronics.
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Laboratory based levitated optomechanical experiments often employ highly mature, robust and laser
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technologies developed for fibre optical telecommunications. Historically, these devices have been
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optimised for extremely low noise which is advantageous but not strictly necessary for many
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optomechanical demonstrations. LOTIS will produce the minimum viable levitated optomechanical trap
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to fit within the size, weight, and power (SWaP) requirements of a typical small satellite.
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Furthermore, LOTIS will explore the extent to which novel protocols can be implemented with the
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hardware we design. This interaction will be two-way, with requirements of the sensing protocols
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informing the technology development where critical features are identified, and vice-versa. This is crucial
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as many existing theoretical studies consider idealisations without reference to the practicalities and
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imperfections inherent in real experiments.
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Finally, LOTIS will analyse the system integration requirements so that the hardware demonstrated can be
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understood in context and the next steps on the technology development roadmap can be clearly
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recognised.
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### References
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- [Bassi 2022] Bassi, Cacciapuoti, Capability et al.; NPJ Microgravity (2022) 8:49
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- [Bateman 2014] Bateman, Nimmrichter, Hornberger, Ulbricht; Nat. Commun (2014) 5:4788
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- [Carraz 2014] Carraz, Siemes, Massotti, et al.; Microgravity Sci. & Tech. 26:139-145
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- [Dawson 2019] Dawson & Bateman; JOSAB (2018) 36:1565
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- [Delic 2020] Delić, Reisenbauer, Dare, et al.; Science (2020) aba3993
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- [Devani 2020] Devani, Maddox, Renshaw et al.; CEAS Space Journal (2020) 12:539-549
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- [Gieseler 2012] Gieseler, Deutsch, Quidant, Novotny; PRL (2012) 109:103603
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- [Oi 2017] Oi, Ling, Grieve, Jennewein, Dinkelaker, Krutzik; Contemp. Phys. 58:25 (2017)
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- [Phillips 2022] Phillips, Wright, Riou, et al.; ADV Quantum Sci (2022) 4:024404
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- [Pontin 2022] Pontin & Monterio, arXiv:2208.09065
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- [Kaltenbaek 2022] Kaltenbaek et al.; arXiv:2202.01535
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- [Kanari-Naish 2022] Kanari-Naish, Clarif, Qvarfort, Vanner; Quantum Sci. & Tech (2022) 7:035012
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- [Magrini 2022] Magrini, Camarena-Chavez, Bach, et al.; PRL (2022) 129:053601
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- [MAQRO CDF 2018] QPPF: Quantum Physics Payload Platform (2018) CDF-183(C)
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- [Nikkhou 2021] Nikkhou, Hu, Sabin, Millen; Photonics (2021) 8:458
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- [Qvarfort 2018] Qvarfort, Serafini, Barker, Bose; Nat. Commun (2018) 9:3690
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- [Rashid 2016] Rashid, Tufarelli, Bateman, et al.; PRL (2016) 117:273601
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- [Siemes 2022] Siemes, Maddox, Carraz et al.; CEAS Space Journal (2022) 14:637-653
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- [Tebbenjohanns 2021] Tebbenjohanns, Mattana, Rossi et al.; Nature (2021) 595:378-382
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