A nonlinear electromechanical system in the quantum regime
Adrian Bachtold a
a ICFO – Institut de Ciències Fotòniques, The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Castelldefels (Barcelona) 08860, Spain
Proceedings of MATSUS Spring 2026 Conference (MATSUSSpring26)
H1 Quantum and Probabilistic Computation
Barcelona, Spain, 2026 March 23rd - 27th
Organizers: Pol Forn-Díaz and Jiyong Woo
Invited Speaker, Adrian Bachtold, presentation 467
Publication date: 15th December 2025

Nonlinearity gives rise to the richness of mechanical systems, yet demonstrating nonlinearity that is relevant in the quantum regime has remained an open challenge. Overcoming this barrier is key to entering a new era of quantum nanomechanics. Nonlinear effects at the scale of zero-point motion are essential to unlock new regimes of quantum nanomechanics. We demonstrate that ultrastrong coupling (USC) between a nanotube mechanical oscillator and an electronic two-level system enables a mechanical Kerr nonlinearity at the zero-point motion scale. In the far-detuned dispersive USC regime, the large coupling yields a large mechanical anharmonicity while preserving the predominantly mechanical nature of the lowest energy states. This regime also realizes a cavity readout of the mechanical motion in a quantum non-demolition (QND) manner. The cavity readout is based on a purely quadratic optomechanical coupling, which can be tuned into the conventional linear interaction by electrostatic control.

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