Precision generation and measurements of small static and dynamic forces by means of radiation pressure of multipass laser beam

• Applicant: Dr.-Ing. Suren Vasilyan
• Subject Area: Optics, Quantum Optics and Physics of Atoms, Molecules and Plasmas
• Term: from 2018 to 2021
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 409476492

The force sensing, optomechanics, and variety of quantum motion experiments require accurate and precise measurements of the acting forces. Using the momentum of absorbed and re-emitted photons of the laser field it is possible to generate calibration forces directly traceable to the International System of Units (SI). In this project we propose a method of extending the effective use of the momentum of the photon by utilization of the power of the multi-pass laser beam. We provide a comparison of the basic theoretical computations with the confirming initial experimental measurements focusing on a particular example of geometrical and experimental settings by which the augmentation of the forces produced by the momentum of the photon is extended from several hundreds of pN up to sub-μN range. We aim to provide new perspectives, ideas and strategies of harnessing the quantum mechanics with the principles well defined in the classical mechanics. The objective is a systematic theoretical and experimental investigation of the possibilities to use quantum mechanical approach to generate forces and their measurements using classical mechanical systems. Also the opportunities to take into account the fundamental physical limits associated with this method and other competing contributing effects which in metrological tasks might be considered as error sources, to be investigated in details. Besides of the practical perspectives in applying this method in precision force calibration tasks, it is also proposed to use the method for calibration measurements of the power of the laser sources.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants