"Quantum Experiments with Massive Mechanical Objects: Pushing the Frontiers of Quantum Optics."

Massive mechanical objects are now becoming available as new systems for quantum science. They combine features that allow unique approaches in both quantum foundations and quantum applications. For example, their size and mass provides access to a hitherto untested parameter regime of macroscopic quantum physics. At the same time, the on-chip integrability of nano- and micromechanics, together with their flexibility to couple to different physical systems, offers a novel perspective for quantum information processing architectures.Quantum optics provides a high-precision toolbox to enter and to control the quantum regime of the motion of such mechanical devices. I will briefly highlight the recent developments and discoveries in the field. This includes our recent progress towards generating optomechanical quantum entanglement, which is at the heart of Schroedinger’s cat paradox, as well as some surprising technology spin-offs that we have encountered. I will also discuss the fascinating perspectives and challenges when pushing towards quantum experiments with truly massive mechanical objects, in particular the possibility to explore the interface between quantum physics and (quantum) gravity in table-top quantum optics experiments.