Broadband Thermal Noise Correlations Induced by Measurement Back-Action

Abstract: Modern mechanical sensors increasingly measure motion with precision sufficient to resolve the fundamental thermal noise floor over a broad band. Compared to traditional sensors -- achieving this limit only near resonance -- this capability provides massive gains in acquisition rates along with access to otherwise obscured transient signals. However, these stronger measurements of motion are naturally accompanied by increased back-action. Here we show how resolving the broadband thermal noise spectrum reveals back-action-induced correlations in the noise from many mechanical modes, even those well-separated in frequency. As a result, the observed spectra can deviate significantly from predictions of the usual single-mode and (uncorrelated) multimode models over the broad band, notably even at the mechanical resonance peaks. This highlights that these effects must be considered in all systems exhibiting measurement back-action, regardless of whether the resonances are spectrally isolated or the readout noise is high enough that the noise peaks appear consistent with simpler models. Additionally, these correlations advantageously allow the thermal noise spectrum to reach a minimum -- equivalent to that of a single mode -- in a band far from the resonance peak, where the mechanical susceptibility is comparatively stable against frequency noise.