An on-demand source of nanoparticles for optomechanics

Autor(en)

P. Rieser, N. Rahaman, F. Donnerbauer, S. Putz, A. Shayeghi, S. Troyer, M. Arndt

Abstrakt

The generation of nanoparticles on demand, with good control over their size and shape, has been a challenge for nanotechnology and the rapidly growing field of levitated optomechanics. Here, we present the preparation, launch, and detection of single nanoparticles in both a buffer gas and in vacuum. A tightly focused ultrashort laser beam with low energy is used to melt, form, and release individual particles. Surface tension supports the creation of spherical particles from molten droplets whose radii can be controlled, here in the range r = 80 − 200 nm , by varying the pulse energy. The particle source is compact and compatible with high vacuum. It can be applied equally to dielectrics and metals as demonstrated here for silicon and gold. The method is unique in its capability to generate pristine silicon spheres directly in vacuum, which would rapidly oxidize when formed in air. Silicon is of interest for levitated optomechanics, cavity cooling, and emerging quantum interference experiments because of its high infrared polarizability and its low work function. Combining the source with an infrared cavity, we characterize the launch velocity and transit dynamics for silicon and gold nanoparticles in a high-finesse cavity field.

Organisation(en)

Quantenoptik, Quantennanophysik und Quanteninformation

Externe Organisation(en)

Österreichische Akademie der Wissenschaften (ÖAW)

Journal

Applied Physics Letters

Band

125

Anzahl der Seiten

5

ISSN

0003-6951

DOI

https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0221965

Publikationsdatum

08-2024

Peer-reviewed

Ja

ÖFOS 2012

103021 Optik, 210004 Nanomaterialien, 103025 Quantenmechanik

ASJC Scopus Sachgebiete

Physics and Astronomy (miscellaneous)

Link zum Portal

https://ucrisportal.univie.ac.at/de/publications/bd45610b-cc7a-477a-87a8-9d2e29925169