Abstract
In this work we show that a silicon optomechanical crystal cavity can be used as an optomechanical oscillator when driven to the phonon lasing condition with a blue-detuned laser. The optomechanical cavity is designed to have a breathing like mode vibrating at Ωm/2π =3.897 GHz in a full phononic bandgap. Our measurements show that the first harmonic displays a phase noise of -100 dBc/Hz at 100 kHz. Stronger bluedetuned driving leads eventually to the formation of an optomechanical frequency comb, with lines spaced by the mechanical frequency. The measured phase noise grows up with the harmonic number, as in classical harmonic mixing. We present real-time measurements of the comb waveform and show that it can be adjusted to a theoretical model recently presented. Our results suggest that silicon optomechanical cavities can play a role in integrated microwave photonics.
Highlights
Cavity optomechanics studies the interaction between light and sound waves simultaneously confined in a cavity [1]
In an optomechanical cavity (OMC), confined mechanical waves can coherently modulate an optical signal at MHz and even GHz frequencies via optomechanical interaction, becoming relevant in microwave photonics
Since OMCs are nonlinear elements, multiple harmonics of the fundamental mechanical vibrations can be overimposed on the optical signal [2], a phenomenon that has been interpreted theoretically as an optomechanical frequency comb (OFC) [3]
Summary
Cavity optomechanics studies the interaction between light and sound waves simultaneously confined in a cavity [1]. In an optomechanical cavity (OMC), confined mechanical waves can coherently modulate an optical signal at MHz and even GHz frequencies via optomechanical interaction, becoming relevant in microwave photonics. Since OMCs are nonlinear elements, multiple harmonics of the fundamental mechanical vibrations can be overimposed on the optical signal [2], a phenomenon that has been interpreted theoretically as an optomechanical frequency comb (OFC) [3]
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