Strong Optomechanical Squeezing of Light

Abstract

We create squeezed light by exploiting the quantum nature of the mechanical interaction between laser light and a membrane mechanical resonator embedded in an optical cavity. The radiation-pressure shot noise (fluctuating optical force from quantum laser amplitude noise) induces resonator motion well above that of thermally driven motion. This motion imprints a phase shift on the laser light, hence correlating the amplitude and phase noise, a consequence of which is optical squeezing. We experimentally demonstrate strong and continuous optomechanical squeezing of 1.7±0.2 dB below the shot-noise level. The peak level of squeezing measured near the mechanical resonance is well described by a model whose parameters are independently calibrated and that includes thermal motion of the membrane with no other classical noise sources.