Optomechanically Induced Transparency

• Published in: Science (American Association for the Advancement of Science) Vol. 330; no. 6010; pp. 1520 - 1523
• Main Authors: Weis, Stefan, Rivière, Rémi, Deléglise, Samuel, Gavartin, Emanuel, Arcizet, Olivier, Schliesser, Albert, Kippenberg, Tobias J
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Washington, DC American Association for the Advancement of Science 10.12.2010; The American Association for the Advancement of Science
• Subjects: Arrays; Beams (radiation); Climate change; Clouds; Control systems; Coupling (molecular); Effects of atomic coherence on propagation, absorption and amplification of light; Electromagnetic fields; Electromagnetics; Exact sciences and technology; Frequency modulation; Fundamental areas of phenomenology (including applications); Global warming; Interference; Laser beams; Lasers; Light; Mechanical effects of light on atoms, molecules, electrons, and ions; Micro-Optomechanical Systems; Optics; Physics; Positive feedback; Quantum optics; Radiation; Retarding; Sidebands; Signal transmission; Signals; Quantum optics; Optomechanical device; Electromagnetically induced transparency; Optical pulse; Quantum interference phenomena; Radiation pressure
• ISSN: 0036-8075; 1095-9203
• DOI: 10.1126/science.1195596

Electromagnetically induced transparency is a quantum interference effect observed in atoms and molecules, in which the optical response of an atomic medium is controlled by an electromagnetic field. We demonstrated a form of induced transparency enabled by radiation-pressure coupling of an optical and a mechanical mode. A control optical beam tuned to a sideband transition of a micro-optomechanical system leads to destructive interference for the excitation of an intracavity probe field, inducing a tunable transparency window for the probe beam. Optomechanically induced transparency may be used for slowing and on-chip storage of light pulses via microfabricated optomechanical arrays.