Data for Ultrahigh Quality Factor of a Levitated Nanomechanical Oscillator

<p>A levitated nanomechanical oscillator under ultra-high vacuum (UHV) is highly isolated from<br>its environment. It has been predicted that this isolation leads to very low mechanical dissipation<br>rates. However, a gap persists between predictions and experimental data. Here, we levitate a silica<br>nanoparticle in a linear Paul trap at room temperature, at pressures as low as 7 &times; 10&minus;11 mbar. We<br>measure a dissipation rate of 2&pi; &times;69(22) nHz, corresponding to a quality factor exceeding 1010, more<br>than two orders of magnitude higher than previously shown. A study of the pressure dependence of<br>the particle&rsquo;s damping and heating rates provides insight into the relevant dissipation mechanisms.</p>