Quantum Optomechanics
A technical study of optical levitation and Rabi oscillations as a class-led research project.
A side view of the high vacuum chamber where the silica particle is levitated.
Top down view of the experimental setup showing the laser entry and detection ports.
The custom alignment system used to stabilize the laser trapping beam.
An image of the actual 100nm silica particle held in the optical trap. Credit: Yifan Bu, UR Optics Department.
This project was a final research assignment for my Geometrical Optical Systems class, where we studied a 100nm silica particle levitated by a 1064nm laser. I worked with the high vacuum environment and used Electro-Optic Modulators to control vibrational modes. A 532nm probe beam was used to record signals, which I then processed in MATLAB to observe Rabi oscillations. The focus was on the experimental methodology and presenting the findings via a technical research poster.
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