Speaker
Description
In cavity optomechanics, it is well established that when the single-photon optomechanical coupling exceeds both the cavity and mechanical damping rates, the optical mode becomes anharmonic. This anharmonicity gives rise to photon blockade, where the frequency difference between the first two excitations prevents a second photon from entering the cavity. An analytical description of this effect exists in the infinitesimal drive limit [1]. Recent circuit QED experiments, which emulate optomechanical systems, operate in a parameter regime where these effects become accessible [2]. In contrast, in the finite- and large-drive regimes, linearization methods successfully describe the system dynamics but fail to capture the nonlinear effects that dominate at low photon numbers.
Here, we develop an analytical framework that incorporates nonlinearities beyond the weak-drive approximation and enables the characterization of photon statistics under finite driving conditions, including resonant, red-sideband, and blue-sideband regimes. Our approach reveals the emergence of additional nonlinear features, such as multiphoton resonance behavior, and identifies parameter regimes where they become significant. Furthermore, we show how these nonlinear interactions can be harnessed to generate near-maximally entangled photon–phonon states, opening perspectives for applications in quantum information processing.
[1] P. Rabl, Photon blockade effect in optomechanical system, PRL 107, 063601 (2011)
[2] C. Pott, R. Dekker, S. Deve, E. Strijbis and G. Steele, Strong intrinsic longitudinal coupling in circuit quantum electrodynamics, PRL 134, 153603 (2025)