Optoelectronic transduction of Cavity Optomechanics

Cavity optomechanics studies the interaction between light and mechanical vibrations . It has its roots in gravitational wave interferometers and has matured as a separate field. One research direction in cavity optomechanics is quantum systems and science , On the classical side, nano-optomechanical systems are promising as sensors. While there have been many demonstrations of cavity nano-opto-mechanical devices (NOMS) , a sensing application requires the NOMS to self-oscillate and extractability of the oscillation signal within the chip. We demonstrate such a system using a cavity NOMS integrated with metal-semiconductor-metal (MSM) photodetector. the mechanical signal is imprinted on the light via dispersive coupling of optical cavity with mechanics. Finally, the light is detected through the MSM photodetector.

Serving as a proof-of-concept, the device utilizes simple to fabricate elements and highlights this architecture for applications of cavity optomechanical devices as Oscillators.