Feedback stabilization of a nanoparticle at the intensity minimum of an optical double-well potential

Fuente: arXiv
Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Mlynář, Vojtěch, Dago, Salambô, Rieser, Jakob, Ciampini, Mario A., Aspelmeyer, Markus, Kiesel, Nikolai, Kugi, Andreas, Deutschmann-Olek, Andreas
Format: Preprint
Published: 2025
Subjects:
Online Access:
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1866912770069364736
author Mlynář, Vojtěch
Dago, Salambô
Rieser, Jakob
Ciampini, Mario A.
Aspelmeyer, Markus
Kiesel, Nikolai
Kugi, Andreas
Deutschmann-Olek, Andreas
author_facet Mlynář, Vojtěch
Dago, Salambô
Rieser, Jakob
Ciampini, Mario A.
Aspelmeyer, Markus
Kiesel, Nikolai
Kugi, Andreas
Deutschmann-Olek, Andreas
contents In this work, we develop and analyze adaptive feedback control strategies to stabilize and confine a nanoparticle at the unstable intensity minimum of an optical double-well potential. The resulting stochastic optimal control problem for a noise-driven mechanical particle in a nonlinear optical potential must account for unavoidable experimental imperfections such as measurement nonlinearities and slow drifts of the optical setup. To address these issues, we simplify the model in the vicinity of the unstable equilibrium and employ indirect adaptive control techniques to dynamically follow changes in the potential landscape. Our approach leads to a simple and efficient Linear Quadratic Gaussian (LQG) controller that can be implemented on fast and cost-effective FPGAs, ensuring accessibility and reproducibility. We demonstrate that this strategy successfully tracks the intensity minimum and significantly reduces the nanoparticle's residual state variance, effectively lowering its center-of-mass temperature. While conventional optical traps rely on confining optical forces in the light field at the intensity maxima, trapping at intensity minima mitigates absorption heating, which is crucial for advanced quantum experiments. Since LQG control naturally extends into the quantum regime, our results provide a promising pathway for future experiments on quantum state preparation beyond the current absorption heating limitation, like matter-wave interference and tests of the quantum-gravity interface.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2508_10601
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Feedback stabilization of a nanoparticle at the intensity minimum of an optical double-well potential
Mlynář, Vojtěch
Dago, Salambô
Rieser, Jakob
Ciampini, Mario A.
Aspelmeyer, Markus
Kiesel, Nikolai
Kugi, Andreas
Deutschmann-Olek, Andreas
Systems and Control
Quantum Physics
In this work, we develop and analyze adaptive feedback control strategies to stabilize and confine a nanoparticle at the unstable intensity minimum of an optical double-well potential. The resulting stochastic optimal control problem for a noise-driven mechanical particle in a nonlinear optical potential must account for unavoidable experimental imperfections such as measurement nonlinearities and slow drifts of the optical setup. To address these issues, we simplify the model in the vicinity of the unstable equilibrium and employ indirect adaptive control techniques to dynamically follow changes in the potential landscape. Our approach leads to a simple and efficient Linear Quadratic Gaussian (LQG) controller that can be implemented on fast and cost-effective FPGAs, ensuring accessibility and reproducibility. We demonstrate that this strategy successfully tracks the intensity minimum and significantly reduces the nanoparticle's residual state variance, effectively lowering its center-of-mass temperature. While conventional optical traps rely on confining optical forces in the light field at the intensity maxima, trapping at intensity minima mitigates absorption heating, which is crucial for advanced quantum experiments. Since LQG control naturally extends into the quantum regime, our results provide a promising pathway for future experiments on quantum state preparation beyond the current absorption heating limitation, like matter-wave interference and tests of the quantum-gravity interface.
title Feedback stabilization of a nanoparticle at the intensity minimum of an optical double-well potential
topic Systems and Control
Quantum Physics
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2508.10601