Dalziel J. Wilson

Abstract An inertial sensor design is proposed in this paper to achieve high sensitivity and large dynamic range in the subhertz-frequency regime. High acceleration sensitivity is obtained by combining optical cavity readout systems with monolithically fabricated mechanical resonators. A high-sensitivity heterodyne interferometer simultaneously monitors the test mass with an extensive dynamic range for low-stiffness resonators.

Levitated nanoparticles can now be cooled to the motional ground state in two dimensions. This advance could enable a new generation of macroscopic quantum experiments. Preparing a tangibly sized object in a quantum state is one of the pursuits of modern physics, driven by hopes of glimpsing the border between classical and quantum worlds.

Abstract Optomechanical accelerometers promise quantum-limited readout, high detection bandwidth, self-calibration, and radiation-pressure stabilization. We present a simple, scalable platform that enables these benefits with nano-g sensitivity at acoustic frequencies, based on a pair of vertically integrated Si3N4 membranes with different stiffnesses, forming an optical cavity.