Cavity nano-optomechanics: a nanomechanical system in a high finesse optical cavity

Abstract

The coupling of mechanical oscillators with light has seen a recent surge of interest, as recent reviews report. ^1,2 This coupling is enhanced when confining light in an optical cavity where the mechanical oscillator is integrated as backmirror or movable wall. At the nano-scale, the optomechanical coupling increases further thanks to a smaller optomechanical interaction volume and reduced mass of the mechanical oscillator. In view of realizing such cavity nanooptomechanics experiments, a scheme was proposed where a sub-wavelength sized nanomechanical oscillator is coupled to a high finesse optical microcavity. ³ Here we present such an experiment involving a single nanomechanical rod precisely positioned into the confined mode of a miniature Fabry-Pérot cavity. ⁴ We describe the employed stabilized cavity set-up and related finesse measurements. We proceed characterizing the nanorod vibration properties using ultrasonic piezo-actuation methods. Using the optical cavity as a transducer of nanomechanical motion, we monitor optically the piezo-driven nanorod vibration. On top of extending cavity quantum electrodynamics concepts to nanomechanical systems, cavity nano-optomechanics should advance into precision displacement measurements near the standard quantum limit ⁵ , investigation of mechanical systems in their quantum regime, non-linear dynamics ⁶ and sensing applications.