arXiv · 0709.2867
Observation of opto-mechanical multistability in a high Q torsion balance oscillator
Abstract
We observe the opto-mechanical multistability of a macroscopic torsion balance oscillator. The torsion oscillator forms the moving mirror of a hemi-spherical laser light cavity. When a laser beam is coupled into this cavity, the radiation pressure force of the intra-cavity beam adds to the torsion wire's restoring force, forming an opto-mechanical potential. In the absence of optical damping, up to 23 stable trapping regions were observed due to local light potential minima over a range of 4 micrometer oscillator displacement. Each of these trapping positions exhibits optical spring properties. Hysteresis behavior between neighboring trapping positions is also observed. We discuss the prospect of observing opto-mechanical stochastic resonance, aiming at enhancing the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) in gravity experiments.
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F. Mueller, S. Heugel, L. J. Wang. 2007-09-18. Observation of opto-mechanical multistability in a high Q torsion balance oscillator. https://doi.org/10.1103/physreva.77.031802
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