arXiv subjects

J. Bourhill

Publications and source records attributed to J. Bourhill.

10 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Coupling phase interference effects in a multimode cavity magnonics system

Coupling phases play a decisive yet often overlooked role in cavity magnonics, particularly in complex multimode systems. Here, we investigate phase-mediated interference effects in a cavity magnonics system comprising a four-post re-entrant microwave cavity coupled to Yttrium Iron Garnet (YIG) spheres. Using an input-output model that explicitly accounts for both internal and external coupling phases, we achieve agreement with experimental microwave transmission measurements. Our results unravel the emergence of a positionally-dependent uncoupled mode due to interference of cavity photon-magnon (internal) coupling phases. Further, we experimentally observed large nonreciprocity at the antiresonance frequencies and show that this feature arises due to the far-detuned modes' odd parity cavity photon-probe (external) coupling phase interfering with the internal coupling phases. Bridging theory, simulation and experiment, these results establish coupling-phase engineering as a key principle for accurately modeling and designing multimode cavity magnonics devices.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2026

Dynamically tuneable helicity in twisted electromagnetic resonators

We report the generation of helical electromagnetic radiation in a microwave cavity resonator, achieved by introducing mirror asymmetry, i.e., chirality, through a controlled geometric twist of the conducting boundary conditions. The emergence of electromagnetic helicity is attributed to a nonzero spatial overlap between the electric and magnetic mode eigenvectors, quantified by $\text{Im}\left[\vec{\mathbf{E}}_i(\vec{r})\cdot{\vec{\mathbf{H}}}_i^*(\vec{r})\right]$, a feature not observed in conventional cavity resonators. This phenomenon originates from magnetoelectric coupling between nearly degenerate transverse electric (TE) and transverse magnetic (TM) modes, resulting in a measurable frequency shift of the resonant modes as a function of the twist angle, $ϕ$. In addition to the bulk helicity induced by global geometric twist, internal helical corrugations break structural symmetry on the surface, introducing an effective surface chirality $κ_{\text{eff}}$, which perturbs the resonant conditions and contributes to asymmetric frequency tuning. By dynamically varying $ϕ$, we demonstrate real-time, macroscopic manipulation of both electromagnetic helicity and resonant frequency. Furthermore, we investigate the underlying mode-coupling dynamics of the system, highlighting strong photon-photon interactions.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2026

Distinct Berry Phases in a Single Triangular Möbius Microwave Resonator

We report the experimental observation of two distinct Berry phases ($+\frac{2π}{3}$ and $-\frac{2π}{3}$) generated on the surface of a Möbius cavity resonator at microwave frequencies supporting the TE$_{1,0,n}$ mode family. This resonator consists of a twisted, mirror-asymmetric prism with a cross-section of the triangular $D_3$ symmetry group, bent around on itself to form a ring. This geometric class supports resonant modes with nonzero electromagnetic helicity (i.e. nonzero $\vec{E}\cdot\vec{B}$ product) at microwave frequencies. There exist modes with three-fold rotational symmetry as well as those that exhibit no rotational symmetry. The latter result in an accumulated Berry phase whilst the former do not, which is determined from the measured frequency shift of the modes when compared to a mirror-symmetric resonator of otherwise equivalent geometry.

physics.class-ph↗

arXiv2025

Electromagnetic Helicity in Twisted Cavity Resonators

Through left- or right-handed twisting, we investigate the impact of mirror-asymmetry (chirality) of the conducting boundary conditions of an equilaterial triangular cross-section electromagnetic resonator. We observe the generation of eigenmodes with non-zero electromagnetic helicity as a result of the coupling of near degenerate TE$_{11(p+1)}$ and TM$_{11p}$ modes. This can be interpreted as an emergence of magneto-electric coupling, which in turn produces a measurable shift in resonant mode frequency as a function of twist angle. We show that this coupling mechanism is equivalent to introducing a non-zero chirality material parameter $κ_\text{eff}$ or axion field $θ_{\text{eff}}$ to the medium. Our findings demonstrate the potential for real-time, macroscopic manipulation of electromagnetic helicity.

physics.class-ph↗

arXiv2024

Upconversion of Phonon Modes into Microwave Photons in a Lithium Niobate Bulk Acoustic Wave Resonator Coupled to a Microwave Cavity

The coupling between acoustic vibrations in a lithium niobate bulk acoustic wave resonator and microwave photons of a re-entrant microwave cavity was investigated at a temperature close to 4 K. Coupling was achieved by placing the acoustic resonator in the location of the re-entrant cavity electric field maxima, in a symmetric "split-post" configuration, with a large overlap between the microwave field and the acoustic mode, allowing acoustic modulations of the microwave frequency. We show that the acoustic modes in this setup retain large inherent quality factors of greater than $10^6$. A maximum optomechanical coupling rate was determined to be $g_0$ = 0.014 mHz, four orders of magnitude larger than previous results obtained using a quartz BAW at 4 K in a similar experimental setup, but using a single post-re-entrant cavity resonator.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2019

Piezo-optomechanical coupling of a 3D microwave resonator to a bulk acoustic wave crystalline resonator

We report the observation of coupling between a 3D microwave cavity mode and a bulk mechanical resonator mediated by piezoelectric and radiation pressure effects. The system is composed of a quartz bulk acoustic wave resonator placed inside a microwave re-entrant cavity, which is designed to act as both the electrodes for piezoelectric actuation as well as a 3D resonator. The cavity electromagnetic mode is modulated by a 5 MHz bulk acoustic wave shear mode, which is modeled and experimentally verified using the input-output formalism. Through finite element method simulations, we calculate the various contributions to the electromechanical coupling and discuss the potential of the system to reach high cooperativities as well as suitable applications.

physics.app-ph↗

arXiv2019

Testing of Generalized Uncertainty Principle With Macroscopic Mechanical Oscillators and Pendulums

Recent progress in observing and manipulating mechanical oscillators at quantum regime provides new opportunities of studying fundamental physics, for example, to search for low energy signatures of quantum gravity. For example, it was recently proposed that such devices can be used to test quantum gravity effects, by detecting the change in the [x,p] commutation relation that could result from quantum gravity corrections. We show that such a correction results in a dependence of a resonant frequency of a mechanical oscillator on its amplitude, which is known as amplitude-frequency effect. By implementing this new method we measure amplitude-frequency effect for 0.3 kg ultra high-Q sapphire split-bar mechanical resonator and for 10 mg quartz bulk acoustic wave resonator. Our experiments with sapphire resonator have established the upper limit on quantum gravity correction constant for $β_0<5 \times10^6$ which is a factor of 6 better than previously detected. The reasonable estimates of $β_0$ from experiments with quartz resonators yield an even more stringent limit of $4\times10^4$. The data sets of 1936 measurement of physical pendulum period by Atkinson results in significantly stronger limitations on $β_0 \ll 1$. Yet, due to the lack of proper pendulum frequency stability measurement in these experiments, the exact upper bound on $β_0$ can not be reliably established. Moreover, pendulum based systems only allow testing a specific form of the modified commutator that depends on the mean value of momentum. The electro-mechanical oscillators to the contrary enable testing of any form of generalized uncertainty principle directly due to much higher stability and a higher degree of control.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2017

Sensitivity Characterisation of a Parametric Transducer for Gravitational Wave Detection Through Optical Spring Effect

We present the characterisation of the most recent parametric transducers designed to enhance the Mario Schenberg Gravitational Wave Detector sensitivity. The transducer is composed of a microwave re-entrant cavity that attaches to the gravitational wave antenna via a rigid spring. It functions as a three-mode mass-spring system; motion of the spherical antenna couples to a 50 $μm$ thick membrane, which converts its mechanical motion into a frequency shift of the cavity resonance. Through the optical spring effect, the microwave transducer frequency-displacement sensitivity was measured to be 726 $MHz/μ$m at 4 K. The spherical antenna detection sensitivity is determined analytically using the transducer amplification gain and equivalent displacement noise in the test setup, which are 5.5 $\times$ 10$^{11} V/m$ and $1.8 \times 10^{-19} m\sqrt{Hz}^{-1}$, respectively.

astro-ph.IM↗

arXiv2014

Rigorous analysis of highly tunable cylindrical Transverse Magnetic mode re-entrant cavities

Cylindrical re-entrant cavities are unique three-dimensional structures that resonate with their electric and magnetic fields in separate parts of the cavity. To further understand these devices, we undertake rigorous analysis of the properties of the resonance using in-house developed Finite Element Method (FEM) software capable of dealing with small gap structures of extreme aspect ratio. Comparisons between the FEM method and experiments are consistent and we illustrate where predictions using established lumped element models work well and where they are limited. With the aid of the modeling we design a highly tunable cavity that can be tuned from 2 GHz to 22 GHz just by inserting a post into a fixed dimensioned cylindrical cavity. We show this is possible as the mode structure transforms from a re-entrant mode during the tuning process to a standard cylindrical Transverse Magnetic (TM) mode.

physics.ins-det↗

arXiv2013

Spin bath maser in a cryogenically cooled sapphire whispering gallery mode resonator

We report the observation of a mechanism of maser generation in an ensemble of inter-coupled, inhomogeneously broadened two-level systems, enhanced by high quality factor electromagnetic cavity modes. In this previously unobserved form of population inversion, an inseparable quantum system leads to cavity-enhanced stimulated emission arising from interactions within an ensemble of two-level systems, as opposed to a traditional ensemble of noninteracting identical three level systems. The effect is observed in a cryogenically cooled whispering gallery mode sapphire resonator containing dilute Fe$^{3+}$ impurity ions. These ions exhibit strong spin-lattice interaction, leading to both electron spin resonance broadening and phonon mediated spin-spin coupling. The maser effect is due to a $\left|1/2\right\rangle \rightarrow \left|3/2\right\rangle$ energy transition in electron spin angular momentum observed at zero external magnetic field. Both continuous and oscillating regimes are observed with corresponding thresholds both in detuning frequency and incident power.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗