Making quantum vibrations nonlinear to enable phonon-phonon interactions
Phys.org • • science
Key Points:
- Researchers at EPFL and Chalmers University have developed a microfabricated chip combining mechanical vibrations and superconducting nonlinear electronics to enable interactions between multiple phonon modes.
- The device integrates a surface acoustic wave cavity that confines mechanical vibrations with a tunable superconducting microwave resonator, allowing phonon modes to hybridize and gain nonlinear characteristics.
- By coupling phonon modes to the nonlinear resonator, the team observed phonon–phonon interactions, including frequency shifts and bistable behavior, demonstrating controlled nonlinear phonon dynamics.
- This breakthrough provides a new experimental framework for engineering interacting phonons, which could advance quantum sensors, study collective mechanical phenomena, and support quantum information processing architectures.
- The work addresses a major challenge in quantum technology by enabling predictable and tunable phonon interactions, essential for building complex quantum systems like quantum computers.
