Quantum optomechanics of a Bose-Einstein antiferromagnet.

We investigate the cavity optomechanical properties of an antiferromagnetic Bose-Einstein condensate, where the role of the mechanical element is played by spin-wave excitations. We show how this system can be described by a single rotor that can be prepared deep in the quantum regime under realizable experimental conditions. This system provides a bottom-up realization of dispersive rotational optomechanics, and opens the door to the direct observation of quantum spin fluctuations.

All-optical optomechanics: an optical spring mirror.

The dominant hurdle to the operation of optomechanical systems in the quantum regime is the coupling of the vibrating element to a thermal reservoir via mechanical supports. Here we propose a scheme that uses an optical spring to replace the mechanical support. We show that the resolved-sideband regime of cooling can be reached in a configuration using a high-reflectivity disk mirror held by an optical tweezer as one of the end mirrors of a Fabry-Perot cavity. We find a final phonon occupation number of the trapped mirror n=0.56 for reasonable parameters, the limit being set by our approximations, and not any fundamental physics. This demonstrates the promise of dielectric disks attached to optical springs for the observation of quantum effects in macroscopic objects.