Research interests in our research group

Our research focuses on the theoretical investigation of open quantum systems, with particular emphasis of the properties of optomechanical systems in the quantum regime.

What is an optomechanical system?

Broadly speaking, optomechanics studies the coupling between light and (usually macroscopic) mechanical objects. More specifically, we are interested in systems in which mechanical oscillators are coupled to one or more modes of an electromagnetic field (light, microwave) through a radiation-pressure-type interaction.

What is the goal of our research?

In our activity we try to achieve a regime in which quantum properties of these systems become relevant. To this end, we investigate the so-called strong coupling regime, in which electromagnetic and mechanical modes are strongly coupled to each other. Another line of research consists in the exploration of the consequences of being in a strongly coupled quantum regime. Does the physics of these systems correspond to anything known in other context, such as condensed matter physics? Can we exploit their properties for quantum information and communication purposes?

Selected publications

• Nonlinear quantum Langevin equations for bosonic modes in solid-state systems
  
  J Manninen, S Agasti, F Massel
  Physical Review A 96, 063830 (2017).
• Tunable phonon-cavity coupling in graphene membranes
  
  R De Alba, F Massel, IR Storch, TS Abhilash, A Hui, PL McEuen, HG Craighead, JM Parpia
  Nature nanotechnology 11, 741 (2016).
• Squeezing of quantum noise of motion in a micromechanical resonator
  J.-M. Pirkkalainen, E. Damskägg, M. Brandt,  F. Massel, M. A. Sillanpää
  Phys. Rev. Lett. 115, 243601 (2015).