Details of Grant 

EPSRC Reference:	GR/S42415/01
Title:	Theory of quantum-limited displacement detection with nano-mechanical systems
Principal Investigator:	Armour, Professor A
Other Investigators:
Researcher Co-Investigators:
Project Partners:
Department:	Sch of Physics & Astronomy
Organisation:	University of Nottingham
Scheme:	First Grant Scheme Pre-FEC
Starts:	01 January 2004	Ends:	30 November 2006	Value (£):	127,255
EPSRC Research Topic Classifications:	Condensed Matter Physics Materials Characterisation
EPSRC Industrial Sector Classifications:	Electronics
Related Grants:
Panel History:
Summary on Grant Application Form
Recent progress in fabrication techniques and cryogenics has opened up the prospect of developing schemes for measuring the displacement of nanomechanical resonators with a sensitivity limited only by quantum effects. Such systems have numerous technological applications as sensors and are also important tools for investigating quantum effects in mechanical systems. A number of prototype displacement detection schemes have been demonstrated in which a nano-mechanical resonator is coupled electrostatically to a mesoscopic conductor so that the current passing through the conductor depends on the position of the resonator. Simple semi-classical estimates of the potential sensitivity of these devices show that it will be possible to develop displacement ddtection schemes with sensitivities limited primarily by quantum effects using currently available technology. The aim of this project is to carry out a thorough analysis of the quantum dynamics of a nano-mechanical resonator coupled to a mesoscopic conductor. First of all we will analyse the ensemble-averaged quantum dynamics in order to calculate the fundamental limits to the sensitivity of displacement detection for nano-mechanical systems. In particular, we will determine which type of mesoscopic conductor offers the greatest sensitivity. We will also analyse the quantum dynamics of single measurement runs in order to determine whether sensitivity can be further improved using recently-developed quantum control techniques.
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Organisation Website:	http://www.nottingham.ac.uk