Optical switching of optomechanically induced transparency and normal mode splitting in a double-cavity system

Abstract

We study a double-cavity optomechanical system where an in-between membrane oscillator is shared by two identical cavities. Two relevant cavity modes experience the optomechanical coupling of same amplitudes but opposite signs when the membrane deviates from its equilibrium position due to radiation pressure. We demonstrate in theory efficient manipulations of optomechanically induced transparency in the weak coupling regime and normal mode splitting in the strong coupling regime via nonlinear wave-mixing processes. It is found that both absorptive and dispersive behaviors of the output probe field can be well controlled to switch between two different steady states by applying a coupling field and a driving field in separate cavities. This optomechanical switching scheme works in both coupling regimes and may be extended to develop new devices of light routing, conversion, delay, and isolation.