Highly sensitive optical sensor for precision measurement of electrical charges based on optomechanically induced difference-sideband generation.

Abstract

Difference-sideband generation in an optomechanical system coupled to a charged object is investigated beyond the conventional linearized description of optomechanical interactions. An exponential decay law for difference-sideband generation in the presence of electric interaction is identified which exhibits more sensitivity to electrical charges than the conventional linearized effects. Using the exact same parameters with previous work based on the linearized dynamics of the optomechanical interactions, we show that optomechanically induced difference-sideband generation may enable an all-optical sensor for precision measurement of electrical charges with higher precision and lower power. The proposed mechanism is especially suited for on-chip optomechanical devices, where nonlinear optomechanical interaction in the weak coupling regime is within current experimental reach.