Levitated Superfluid
Study macroscopic quantum phenomena in a levitated superfluid Helium drop
Since 2018 Jan, I have joined the Levitated Helium Drop experiment with graduate student Charles D. Brown (Phd, Physics, Yale ‘19), postdoc Glen Harris (PhD, U of Queensland ‘15) and postdoc Mehdi Namazi (PhD, SUNY ‘18).
Superfluid helium has many unique properties that make it a remarkable material for quantum optomechanics experiments. By magnetically levitating millimeter-scale drops of superfluid in vacuum, we are exploring new ways to exploit these properties and to address outstanding questions in fundamental fluid mechanics.
This work is based on the previous experimental proposal:
- Childress, L., et al. “Cavity optomechanics in a levitated helium drop.” Physical Review A 96.6 (2017): 063842.
- Charles Brown “Optical, Mechanical and Thermal Properties of Superfluid Liquid Helium Drops Magnetically-Levitated in Vacuum” Yale University Doctoral Thesis
So far, we have levitated a stable drop in high vacuum and studies its optical, acoustic properties, see
- Brown, C. D., et al. “Superfluid Helium Drops Levitated in High Vacuum” Phys. Rev. Lett. 130, 216001
Currently, we are working on levitating a larger and colder Helium-4 drops to study quantum optomechanics in new regimes. This work provides a unique avenue to access to research macroscopic quantume phenomena, non-Guassian optomechanics.
In the meantime, we are also explore the possibility to levitate a He-3 drop in vacuum. This project also provides a special access to study the opto-rotation dynamics in quantum regime. Please keep an eye on this exciting and intriguing project!
