---
OA_place: repository
OA_type: green
_id: '22244'
abstract:
- lang: eng
  text: The sensitivity of a mechanical transducer is ultimately limited by its inherent
    quantum fluctuations. Here, we use an optically levitated nanoparticle to measure
    impulsive forces smaller than the particle’s zero-point momentum uncertainty.
    Our approach relies on reversibly squeezing the levitated particle’s center-of-mass
    motion to coherently amplify the perturbation. We demonstrate an impulsive-force
    resolution as small as 6.9  keV/c, a value 0.6 dB below the sensor’s zero-point
    value.
acknowledgement: We thank Oscar Schmitt Kremer for his help with the Kalman filter
  and the rest of our colleagues at the ETH Photonics Laboratory for fruitful discussions.
  This research has been supported by the Swiss SERI Quantum Initiative (Grants No.
  UeM019-2 and No. UeM029-3), the Swiss National Science Foundation (Grant No. 51NF40-160591),
  and the European Research Council (ERC) under the Grant Agreement No. [951234] (Q-Xtreme
  ERC-2020-SyG). M. C. S. acknowledges support through an SNSF Fellowship (Grant No.
  224465).
article_number: '233604'
article_processing_charge: No
article_type: original
arxiv: 1
author:
- first_name: Martynas
  full_name: Skrabulis, Martynas
  last_name: Skrabulis
- first_name: Martin Colombano
  full_name: Sosa, Martin Colombano
  last_name: Sosa
- first_name: Nicola Carlon
  full_name: Zambon, Nicola Carlon
  last_name: Zambon
- first_name: Andrei
  full_name: Militaru, Andrei
  id: d67706f8-8eb1-11ee-ad1b-9c30dfa19e0b
  last_name: Militaru
- first_name: Massimiliano
  full_name: Rossi, Massimiliano
  last_name: Rossi
- first_name: Martin
  full_name: Frimmer, Martin
  last_name: Frimmer
- first_name: Lukas
  full_name: Novotny, Lukas
  last_name: Novotny
citation:
  ama: Skrabulis M, Sosa MC, Zambon NC, et al. Nanomechanical sensor resolving impulsive
    forces below its zero-point fluctuations. <i>Physical Review Letters</i>. 2026;136(23).
    doi:<a href="https://doi.org/10.1103/9wzm-3qyb">10.1103/9wzm-3qyb</a>
  apa: Skrabulis, M., Sosa, M. C., Zambon, N. C., Militaru, A., Rossi, M., Frimmer,
    M., &#38; Novotny, L. (2026). Nanomechanical sensor resolving impulsive forces
    below its zero-point fluctuations. <i>Physical Review Letters</i>. American Physical
    Society. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1103/9wzm-3qyb">https://doi.org/10.1103/9wzm-3qyb</a>
  chicago: Skrabulis, Martynas, Martin Colombano Sosa, Nicola Carlon Zambon, Andrei
    Militaru, Massimiliano Rossi, Martin Frimmer, and Lukas Novotny. “Nanomechanical
    Sensor Resolving Impulsive Forces below Its Zero-Point Fluctuations.” <i>Physical
    Review Letters</i>. American Physical Society, 2026. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1103/9wzm-3qyb">https://doi.org/10.1103/9wzm-3qyb</a>.
  ieee: M. Skrabulis <i>et al.</i>, “Nanomechanical sensor resolving impulsive forces
    below its zero-point fluctuations,” <i>Physical Review Letters</i>, vol. 136,
    no. 23. American Physical Society, 2026.
  ista: Skrabulis M, Sosa MC, Zambon NC, Militaru A, Rossi M, Frimmer M, Novotny L.
    2026. Nanomechanical sensor resolving impulsive forces below its zero-point fluctuations.
    Physical Review Letters. 136(23), 233604.
  mla: Skrabulis, Martynas, et al. “Nanomechanical Sensor Resolving Impulsive Forces
    below Its Zero-Point Fluctuations.” <i>Physical Review Letters</i>, vol. 136,
    no. 23, 233604, American Physical Society, 2026, doi:<a href="https://doi.org/10.1103/9wzm-3qyb">10.1103/9wzm-3qyb</a>.
  short: M. Skrabulis, M.C. Sosa, N.C. Zambon, A. Militaru, M. Rossi, M. Frimmer,
    L. Novotny, Physical Review Letters 136 (2026).
das_tickbox: '1'
dataavailabilitystatement: The data that support the findings of this article are
  openly available DOI 10.3929/ethz-c-000798807
date_created: 2026-07-05T22:01:36Z
date_published: 2026-06-12T00:00:00Z
date_updated: 2026-07-06T07:07:24Z
day: '12'
department:
- _id: JoFi
doi: 10.1103/9wzm-3qyb
external_id:
  arxiv:
  - '2601.19392'
intvolume: '       136'
issue: '23'
language:
- iso: eng
main_file_link:
- open_access: '1'
  url: https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2601.19392
month: '06'
oa: 1
oa_version: Preprint
publication: Physical Review Letters
publication_identifier:
  eissn:
  - 1079-7114
  issn:
  - 0031-9007
publication_status: published
publisher: American Physical Society
quality_controlled: '1'
researchdata_availability: yes
scopus_import: '1'
status: public
supplementarymaterial: yes
title: Nanomechanical sensor resolving impulsive forces below its zero-point fluctuations
type: journal_article
user_id: 2DF688A6-F248-11E8-B48F-1D18A9856A87
volume: 136
year: '2026'
...