Work

Stationary entanglement of a levitated oscillator with an optical field

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Stationary entanglement between the motion of macroscopic objects and light is a long-standing goal of quantum optomechanics, with implications for both fundamental tests of quantum physics and emerging quantum technologies. We report the generation of quantum entanglement between the center-of-mass motion of a nanosphere levitated in an optical tweezer inside an optical cavity and the electromagnetic field. Using heterodyne detection, we reconstructed the full set of optomechanical correlations and observed a violation of separability bounds between the mechanical motion and a propagating optical mode, demonstrating the distribution of nonclassical correlations beyond the interaction region. The entanglement was generated at room temperature and remained robust over a broad range of parameters. Our results establish levitated optomechanical systems as a platform for continuous-variable quantum communication and for tests of macroscopic quantum physics.

Source: Science

DOI: 10.1126/science.aeh1375

Authors: Q. Deplano, A. Pontin, F. Marino, F. Marin

Institutions: Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Sezione di Firenze, University of Florence, Quantum Science and Technology in Arcetri, European Laboratory for Non-Linear Spectroscopy

Language: English

Topic: Mechanical and Optical Resonators

Subfield: Atomic and Molecular Physics, and Optics

Field: Physics and Astronomy

Domain: Physical Sciences

Open Access status: green

Funders: European Commission, Ministero dell'Università e della Ricerca