  Cooled, low-loss nanomechanical resonators offer the prospect of directly
observing the quantum dynamics of mesoscopic systems. However, the present
state of the art requires cooling down to the milliKelvin regime in order to
observe quantum effects. Here we present an active feedback strategy based on
continuous observation of the resonator position for the purpose of obtaining
these low temperatures. In addition, we apply this to an experimentally
realizable configuration, where the position monitoring is carried out by a
single-electron transistor. Our estimates indicate that with current technology
this technique is likely to bring the required low temperatures within reach.
