We consider an optomechanical system comprising a single cavity mode and a dense spectrum of acoustic modes and solve for the quantum dynamics of initial cavity mode Fock (i.e., photon number) superposition states and thermal acoustic states. The opt
omechanical interaction results in dephasing without damping and bears some analogy to gravitational decoherence. For a cavity mode locally coupled to a one-dimensional (1D) elastic string-like environment or two-dimensional (2D) elastic membrane-like environment, we find that the dephasing dynamics depends respectively on the string length and membrane area--a consequence of an infrared divergence in the limit of an infinite-sized string or membrane. On the other hand, for a cavity mode locally coupled to a three-dimensional (3D) bulk elastic solid, the dephasing dynamics is independent of the solid volume (i.e., is infrared finite), but dependent on the local geometry of the coupled cavity--a consequence of an ultraviolet divergence in the limit of a pointlike coupled cavity. We consider as possible respective realizations for the cavity-coupled-1D and 2D acoustic environments, an LC oscillator capacitively coupled to a partially metallized strip and a cavity light mode interacting via light pressure with a membrane.
We propose a superconducting circuit comprising a dc-SQUID with mechanically compliant arm embedded in a coplanar microwave cavity that realizes an optomechanical system with a degenerate or non-degenerate parametric interaction generated via the dyn
amical Casimir effect. For experimentally feasible parameters, this setup is capable of reaching the single-photon, ultra-strong coupling regime, while simultaneously possessing a parametric coupling strength approaching the renormalized cavity frequency. This opens up the possibility of observing the interplay between these two fundamental nonlinearities at the single-photon level.
We present a sparse matrix permutation from graph theory that gives stable incomplete Lower-Upper (LU) preconditioners necessary for iterative solutions to the steady state density matrix for quantum optomechanical systems. This reordering is efficie
nt, adding little overhead to the computation, and results in a marked reduction in both memory and runtime requirements compared to other solution methods, with performance gains increasing with system size. Either of these benchmarks can be tuned via the preconditioner accuracy and solution tolerance. This reordering optimizes the condition number of the approximate inverse, and is the only method found to be stable at large Hilbert space dimensions. This allows for steady state solutions to otherwise intractable quantum optomechanical systems.
The ability to generate particles from the quantum vacuum is one of the most profound consequences of Heisenbergs uncertainty principle. Although the significance of vacuum fluctuations can be seen throughout physics, the experimental realization of
vacuum amplification effects has until now been limited to a few cases. Superconducting circuit devices, driven by the goal to achieve a viable quantum computer, have been used in the experimental demonstration of the dynamical Casimir effect, and may soon be able to realize the elusive verification of analogue Hawking radiation. This article describes several mechanisms for generating photons from the quantum vacuum and emphasizes their connection to the well-known parametric amplifier from quantum optics. Discussed in detail is the possible realization of each mechanism, or its analogue, in superconducting circuit systems. The ability to selectively engineer these circuit devices highlights the relationship between the various amplification mechanisms.
We propose that the Hawking radiation energy and entropy flow rates from a black hole can be viewed as a one-dimensional (1D), non-equilibrium Landauer transport process. Support for this viewpoint comes from previous calculations invoking conformal
symmetry in the near-horizon region, which give radiation rates that are identical to those of a single 1D quantum channel connected to a thermal reservoir at the Hawking temperature. The Landauer approach shows in a direct way the particle statistics independence of the energy and entropy fluxes of a black hole radiating into vacuum, as well as one near thermal equilibrium with its environment. As an application of the Landauer approach, we show that Hawking radiation gives a net entropy production that is 50% larger than that obtained assuming standard three-dimensional emission into vacuum.
We investigate a quantum parametric amplifier with dynamical pump mode, viewed as a zero-dimensional model of Hawking radiation from an evaporating black hole. The conditions are derived under which the spectrum of particles generated from vacuum flu
ctuations deviates from the thermal spectrum predicted for the conventional parametric amplifier. We find that significant deviations arise when the pump mode (black hole) has emitted nearly half of its initial energy into the signal (Hawking radiation) and idler (in-falling particle) modes. As a model of black hole dynamics, this finding lends support to the view that late-time Hawking radiation contains information about the quantum state of the black hole and is entangled with the black holes quantum gravitational degrees of freedom.
