Synchronization of Micromechanical Oscillators Using Light

Synchronization, the emergence of spontaneous order in coupled systems, is of fundamental importance in both physical and biological systems. We demonstrate the synchronization of two dissimilar silicon nitride micromechanical oscillators, that are spaced apart by a few hundred nanometers and are coupled through optical radiation field. The tunability of the optical coupling between the oscillators enables one to externally control the dynamics and switch between coupled and individual oscillation states. These results pave a path towards reconfigurable massive synchronized oscillator networks

Generalized nonreciprocity in an optomechanical circuit via synthetic magnetism and reservoir engineering

Synthetic magnetism has been used to control charge neutral excitations for applications ranging from classical beam steering to quantum simulation. In optomechanics, radiation-pressure-induced parametric coupling between optical (photon) and mechanical (phonon) excitations may be used to break time-reversal symmetry, providing the prerequisite for synthetic magnetism. Here we design and fabricate a silicon optomechanical circuit with both optical and mechanical connectivity between two optomechanical cavities. Driving the two cavities with phase-correlated laser light results in a synthetic magnetic flux, which in combination with dissipative coupling to the mechanical bath, leads to nonreciprocal transport of photons with 35dB of isolation. Additionally, optical pumping with blue-detuned light manifests as a particle non-conserving interaction between photons and phonons, resulting in directional optical amplification of 12dB in the isolator through direction. These results indicate the feasibility of utilizing optomechanical circuits to create a more general class of nonreciprocal optical devices, and further, to enable novel topological phases for both light and sound on a microchip.Comment: 18 pages, 8 figures, 4 appendice

Spintronic Majority Gates

In this paper we present an overview of two types of majority gate devices based on spintronic phenomena. We compare the spin torque majority gate and the spin wave majority gate and describe work on these devices. We discuss operating conditions for the two device concepts, circuit implication and how these reflect on materials choices for device implementation

Silicon optical modulators

Optical technology is poised to revolutionize short-reach interconnects. The leading candidate technology is silicon photonics, and the workhorse of such an interconnect is the optical modulator. Modulators have been improved dramatically in recent years, with a notable increase in bandwidth from the megahertz to the multigigahertz regime in just over half a decade. However, the demands of optical interconnects are significant, and many questions remain unanswered as to whether silicon can meet the required performance metrics. Minimizing metrics such as the device footprint and energy requirement per bit, while also maximizing bandwidth and modulation depth, is non-trivial. All of this must be achieved within an acceptable thermal tolerance and optical spectral width using CMOS-compatible fabrication processes. This Review discusses the techniques that have been (and will continue to be) used to implement silicon optical modulators, as well as providing an outlook for these devices and the candidate solutions of the future

Electric field control of magnetism

Electric field control of magnetism is an extremely exciting area of research, from both a fundamental science and an applications perspective and has the potential to revolutionize the world of computing. To realize this will require numerous further innovations, both in the fundamental science arena as well as translating these scientific discoveries into real applications. Thus, this article will attempt to bridge the gap between condensed matter physics and the actual manifestations of the physical concepts into applications. We have attempted to paint a broad-stroke picture of the field, from the macroscale all the way down to the fundamentals of spin-orbit coupling that is a key enabler of the physics discussed. We hope it will help spur more translational research within the broad materials physics community. Needless to say, this article is written on behalf of a large number of colleagues, collaborators and researchers in the field of complex oxides as well as current and former students and postdocs who continue to pursue cutting-edge research in this field

Synchronization Of Micromechanical Oscillators Using Light

Synchronization on the nanoscale has a wide range of applications ranging from timing, navigation, signal processing, microwave communication and novel computing and memory concepts. Existing coupled micromechanical oscillators suffer from limited range, neighborhood restriction and non-configurable coupling which limit the control, physical size and possible topologies of complex oscillator networks [1]. Here, we demonstrate the synchronization of two micromechanical oscillators, which are actuated and coupled by optical radiation field. We show that the coupling between the two oscillators can be tuned continuously from uncoupled to maximally coupled. These results pave a path towards massive and long-range synchronized oscillator networks. © 2011 IEEE.Shim, S.-B., Imboden, M., Mohanty, P., Synchronized oscillation in coupled nanomechanical oscillators (2007) Science, 316 (5821), pp. 95-99. , DOI 10.1126/science.1137307Kippenberg, T.J., Vahala, K.J., Cavity opto-mechanics (2007) Optics Express, 15 (25), pp. 17172-17205Wiederhecker, G.S., Chen, L., Gondarenko, A., Lipson, M., Controlling photonic structures using optical forces (2009) Nature, 462 (7273), pp. 633-636Heinrich, G., Ludwig, M., Qian, J., Kubala, B., Marquardt, F., Collective Dynamics in Optomechanical Arrays (2011) Physical Review Letters, 107 (4), p. 043603. , JulLin, Q., Rosenberg, J., Jiang, X., Vahala, K.J., Painter, O., Mechanical oscillation and cooling actuated by the optical gradient force (2009) Phys. Rev. Lett., 103 (10), p. 103601. , Au