Levitated optomechanics: introduction

The emerging field of levitated optomechanics focuses on mesoscopic systems that are extremely well isolated from the environment and therefore offer unique tools for testing fundamental theories of physics as well as versatile platforms for supporting next-generation sensing technologies. The broad appeal of the subject as well as the novel possibilities it offers has attracted investigators to it from optics and photonics, magnetics, condensed matter physics, gravitational wave detection and astronomy, and low temperature physics. This special issue features contributions that describe various aspects at the cutting edge of the study and manipulation of levitated optomechanical systems, including experimental techniques, technological advances, and theoretical insights. (C) 2017 Optical Society of America