We consider an optomechanical (OM) system that consists of a mechanical and an optical mode interacting through linear and quadratic OM dispersive couplings. The system is operated in unresolved sideband limit with a high quality factor mechanical resonator. Such a system acts as a parametrically driven oscillator, giving access to an intensity-assisted tunability of the spring constant. This enables the operation of the OM system in its "soft mode," wherein the mechanical spring softens and responds with a lower resonance frequency. We show that this soft mode can be exploited to nonlinearize backaction noise, which yields higher force sensitivity beyond the conventional standard quantum limit. (C) 2020 Optical Society of America
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