Mechanically mediated microwave frequency conversion in the quantum regime

الأصل · EN

We report the observation of efficient and low-noise frequency conversion between two microwave modes, mediated by the motion of a mechanical resonator subjected to radiation pressure. We achieve coherent conversion of more than 10¹² photons/s with a 95% efficiency and a 14 kHz bandwidth. With less than 10⁻¹ photons · s⁻¹· Hz⁻¹ of added noise, this optomechanical frequency converter is suitable for quantum state transduction. We show the ability to operate this converter as a tunable beam splitter, with direct applications for photon routing and communication through complex quantum networks.