Tutorial: Cavity Quantum Optomechanics

Exploring quantum physics in macroscopic systems and manipulating these systems for various technological applications has been a topic of intense research in the last one decade or so. In this regard, the field of cavity quantum optomechanics turns out to be one of the most rapidly emerging area of research. It has opened many doors to study various open ended fundamental questions in quantum physics, apart from numerous possible applications. A typical cavity optomechanical system consists of two mirrors, one fixed while the other one is movable. These systems may be of micrometer or nano-meter in dimensions. The electromagnetic radiation incident on the system may get coupled to the mechanical motion of the movable mirror. This opto-mechanical coupling is the root of all phenomena such as quantum entanglement, state-transfer, squeezing and so on. In this short tutorial, basic concepts of cavity quantum optomechanics are discussed. We hope that this tutorial would motivate readers, both theorists and experimentalists, to take up advanced studies in this immensely fruitful area of research.