Cavity optomechanical bistability with an ultrahigh reflectivity photonic crystal membrane

Published

August 27, 2023

Author(s)

Feng Zhou, Yiliang Bao, Jason Gorman, John R. Lawall

Abstract

Photonic crystal (PhC) membranes patterned with sub-wavelength periods offer a unique combination of high reflectivity, low mass, and high mechanical quality factor. Using a PhC membrane as one mirror of a Fabry-Perot cavity, a finesse as high as $F=35\,000(500)$ is demonstrated, corresponding to a record high PhC reflectivity of $R=0.999835(6)$ and an optical quality factor of $Q_opt}\approx 10^9$. The fundamental mechanical frequency is 426kHz, more than twice the optical linewidth, placing it firmly in the resolved-sideband regime required for ground-state optical cooling. The mechanical quality factor in vacuum is$Q=1.1(1)\times 10^6$, allowing values of the single-photon cooperativity as high as $\cal C}_0=6.6\times10^-3}$. Optomechanical bistability is easily observed as hysteresis in the cavity transmission. As the input power is raised well beyond the bistability threshold, dynamical backaction induces strong mechanical oscillation above 1MHz, even in the presence of air damping. This platform will facilitate advances in optomechanics, precision sensing, and applications of optomechanically-induced bistability.

Citation

Laser and Photonics Reviews

Pub Type

Journals

Download Paper

https://doi.org/10.1002/lpor.202300008

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Keywords

optomechanics, bistability, photonic crystal, Fabry-Perot

Citation

Zhou, F. , Bao, Y. , Gorman, J. and Lawall, J. (2023), Cavity optomechanical bistability with an ultrahigh reflectivity photonic crystal membrane, Laser and Photonics Reviews, [online], https://doi.org/10.1002/lpor.202300008, https://tsapps.nist.gov/publication/get_pdf.cfm?pub_id=935466 (Accessed March 14, 2025)