Coherent mixing of mechanical excitations in nano-optomechanical structures

• Published in: Nature photonics Vol. 4; no. 4; pp. 236 - 242
• Main Authors: Painter, Oskar, Lin, Qiang, Rosenberg, Jessie, Chang, Darrick, Camacho, Ryan, Eichenfield, Matt, Vahala, Kerry J
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group UK 01.04.2010; Nature Publishing Group
• Subjects: 639/624/399/1098; 639/624/400/1021; Applied and Technical Physics; Cavity resonators; Coherence; Dynamical systems; Effects of atomic coherence on propagation, absorption and amplification of light; Exact sciences and technology; Fundamental areas of phenomenology (including applications); Holes; Nanocomposites; Nanomaterials; Nanostructure; Optical materials; Optics; Photonic bandgap materials; Physics; Physics and Astronomy; Proposals; Quantum optics; Quantum Physics; Rigidity; Electromagnetically induced transparency; Microwave radiation; Photonic crystals; Quantum optics; Cavity resonators; Optical forces; Nanostructures
• ISSN: 1749-4885; 1749-4893
• DOI: 10.1038/nphoton.2010.5

The combination of the large per-photon optical force and small motional mass achievable in nanocavity optomechanical systems results in strong dynamical back-action between mechanical motion and the cavity light field. In this Article, we study the optical control of mechanical motion within two different nanocavity structures, a zipper nanobeam photonic crystal cavity and a double-microdisk whispering-gallery resonator. The strong optical gradient force within these cavities is shown to introduce significant optical rigidity into the structure, with the dressed mechanical states renormalized into optically bright and optically dark modes of motion. With the addition of internal mechanical coupling between mechanical modes, a form of optically controlled mechanical transparency is demonstrated in analogy to electromagnetically induced transparency of three-level atomic media. Based upon these measurements, a proposal for coherently transferring radio-frequency/microwave signals between the optical field and a long-lived dark mechanical state is described. Nanocavity optomechanical systems can exhibit strong dynamical back-action between mechanical motion and the cavity light field. Here, optical control of mechanical motion within two different nanocavity structures is demonstrated. A form of optically controlled mechanical transparency is also demonstrated, which is analogous to electromagnetically induced transparency.