Physical Society Colloquium

Micro-electromechanics: A new quantum technology

Konrad Lehnert

JILA

Silicon nitride membranes (micro-mechanical resonators) shown next to a penny for scale

That an object can be in two distinct places simultaneously is a consequence of quantum theory and a fact routinely invoked to account for the behavior of electrons and atoms. Nevertheless, these superpositions are in conflict with our everyday experience. What is the largest and most tangible object that can be prepared in such a superposition? This question has motivated researchers to fabricate micron-scale mechanical resonators and coax them towards the regime of quantum behavior. In this talk, I will describe how we use electricity to achieve the exquisite control and measurement of micro-mechanical resonators necessary to reach the quantum regime. We now endeavor to use these resonators as long-lived memories for the quantum states of electrical circuits and to transfer quantum states between microwave and optical fields. Finally, we are attempting to create quantum superpositions of an unprecedented mass scale.