Proposal for an Optomechanical Traveling Wave Phonon-Photon Translator

In this article we describe a general optomechanical system for converting photons to phonons in an efficient, and reversible manner. We analyze classically and quantum mechanically the conversion process and proceed to a more concrete description of a phonon-photon translator formed from coupled photonic and phononic crystal planar circuits. Applications of the phonon-photon translator to RF-microwave photonics and circuit QED, including proposals utilizing this system for optical wavelength conversion, long-lived quantum memory and state transfer from optical to superconducting qubits are considered.Comment: 32 pages, 11 figure

Optomechanics in an ultrahigh-Q two-dimensional photonic crystal cavity

We demonstrate an ultrahigh-Q slotted two-dimensional photonic crystal cavity capable of obtaining strong interaction between the internal light field and the mechanical motion of the slotted structure. The measured optical quality factor is Q = 1.2×10^6 for a cavity with an effective modal volume of V_(eff) = 0.04(λ)^3. Optical transduction of the thermal motion of the fundamental in-plane mechanical resonance of the structure (ν_m = 151 MHz) is performed, from which a zero-point motion optomechanical coupling rate of g∗/2π = 320 kHz is inferred. Dynamical back-action of the optical field on the mechanical motion, resulting in cooling and amplication of the mechanical motion, is also demonstrated

Slot-mode-coupled optomechanical crystals

We present a design methodology and analysis of a cavity optomechanical system in which a localized GHz frequency mechanical mode of a nanobeam resonator is evanescently coupled to a high quality factor (Q>10^6) optical mode of a separate nanobeam optical cavity. Using separate nanobeams provides flexibility, enabling the independent design and optimization of the optics and mechanics of the system. In addition, the small gap (approx. 25 nm) between the two resonators gives rise to a slot mode effect that enables a large zero-point optomechanical coupling strength to be achieved, with g/2pi > 300 kHz in a Si3N4 system at 980 nm and g/2pi approx. 900 kHz in a Si system at 1550 nm. The fact that large coupling strengths to GHz mechanical oscillators can be achieved in SiN is important, as this material has a broad optical transparency window, which allows operation throughout the visible and near-infrared. As an application of this platform, we consider wide-band optical frequency conversion between 1300 nm and 980 nm, using two optical nanobeam cavities coupled on either side to the breathing mode of a mechanical nanobeam resonator

Controlling phonons and photons at the wavelength-scale: silicon photonics meets silicon phononics

Radio-frequency communication systems have long used bulk- and surface-acoustic-wave devices supporting ultrasonic mechanical waves to manipulate and sense signals. These devices have greatly improved our ability to process microwaves by interfacing them to orders-of-magnitude slower and lower loss mechanical fields. In parallel, long-distance communications have been dominated by low-loss infrared optical photons. As electrical signal processing and transmission approaches physical limits imposed by energy dissipation, optical links are now being actively considered for mobile and cloud technologies. Thus there is a strong driver for wavelength-scale mechanical wave or "phononic" circuitry fabricated by scalable semiconductor processes. With the advent of these circuits, new micro- and nanostructures that combine electrical, optical and mechanical elements have emerged. In these devices, such as optomechanical waveguides and resonators, optical photons and gigahertz phonons are ideally matched to one another as both have wavelengths on the order of micrometers. The development of phononic circuits has thus emerged as a vibrant field of research pursued for optical signal processing and sensing applications as well as emerging quantum technologies. In this review, we discuss the key physics and figures of merit underpinning this field. We also summarize the state of the art in nanoscale electro- and optomechanical systems with a focus on scalable platforms such as silicon. Finally, we give perspectives on what these new systems may bring and what challenges they face in the coming years. In particular, we believe hybrid electro- and optomechanical devices incorporating highly coherent and compact mechanical elements on a chip have significant untapped potential for electro-optic modulation, quantum microwave-to-optical photon conversion, sensing and microwave signal processing.Comment: 26 pages, 5 figure

Influence of monolayer contamination on electric-field-noise heating in ion traps

Electric field noise is a hinderance to the assembly of large scale quantum computers based on entangled trapped ions. Apart from ubiquitous technical noise sources, experimental studies of trapped ion heating have revealed additional limiting contributions to this noise, originating from atomic processes on the electrode surfaces. In a recent work [A. Safavi-Naini et al., Phys. Rev. A 84, 023412 (2011)] we described a microscopic model for this excess electric field noise, which points a way towards a more systematic understanding of surface adsorbates as progenitors of electric field jitter noise. Here, we address the impact of surface monolayer contamination on adsorbate induced noise processes. By using exact numerical calculations for H and N atomic monolayers on an Au(111) surface representing opposite extremes of physisorption and chemisorption, we show that an additional monolayer can significantly affect the noise power spectrum and either enhance or suppress the resulting heating rates.Comment: 8 pages, 5 figure