Engineering Papers⌕ Search

SEARCH · Engineering Papers

Results for “optomechanics”

Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 55 records · Page 3
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2020

Mode locking in an optomechanical cavity

Here, we experimentally study a fiber-based optical ring cavity integrated with a mechanical resonator mirror and an optical amplifier. The device exhibits a variety of intriguing nonlinear effects including synchronization and self-excited oscillation. Passively generated optical pulses are observed when the frequency of the optical ring cavity is tuned very close to the mechanical frequency of the suspended mirror. The optical power at the threshold of this process of mechanical mode locking is found to be related to quantum noise of the optical amplifier.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2026

Laser-Induced Enhancement of Acoustic Mode Quality Factor Revealed by Correlated Single-Particle Optical and Electron Microscopy

Acoustic modes in plasmonic nanostructures provide fundamental insights into their optomechanical behavior at the nanoscale, enabling emerging applications in plasmon-enhanced optomechanics, ultrasensitive sensing, and nanoscale energy transduction. Here we explore the modulation of acoustic phonon dynamics in lithographically fabricated gold nanodisks via laser-induced photothermal annealing. Using a correlated approach that utilizes both single-particle transient extinction spectroscopy and advanced electron microscopy, we directly link nanoscale structural transformations to changes in mechanical properties as probed through the coherence of the excited acoustic modes. Specifically, ultrafast pump–probe microscopy reveals an enhancement in the acoustic mode quality factor of annealed gold nanodisks, indicative of reduced damping and improved vibrational coherence. Structural characterization via scanning electron microscopy and electron backscatter diffraction confirms that photoinduced annealing results in smoother surface morphology and overall enhanced crystallinity. The improved crystalline order reduces defect and crystal boundary scattering, which we suggest as the reason underlying the lower quality factor before annealing. Furthermore, these findings demonstrate that targeted structural engineering at the nanoscale offers a powerful strategy for optimizing the optomechanical performance of plasmonic nanostructures, with broad implications for the design of next-generation nanophotonic and optomechanical systems.

Annealing (metallurgy)↗
DOE OSTI2024

Electrically interfaced Brillouin-active waveguide for microwave photonic measurements

New strategies for converting signals between optical and microwave domains could play a pivotal role in advancing both classical and quantum technologies. Traditional approaches to optical-to-microwave transduction typically perturb or destroy the information encoded on intensity of the light field, eliminating the possibility for further processing or distribution of these signals. In this paper, we introduce an optical-to-microwave conversion method that allows for both detection and spectral analysis of microwave photonic signals without degradation of their information content. This functionality is demonstrated using an optomechanical waveguide integrated with a piezoelectric transducer. Efficient electromechanical and optomechanical coupling within this system permits bidirectional optical-to-microwave conversion with a quantum efficiency of up to -54.16 dB. Leveraging the preservation of the optical field envelope in intramodal Brillouin scattering, we demonstrate a multi-channel microwave photonic filter by transmitting an optical signal through a series of electro-optomechanical waveguide segments, each with distinct resonance frequencies. Such electro-optomechanical systems could offer flexible strategies for remote sensing, channelization, and spectrum analysis in microwave photonics.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2024

Statistical mechanics and pressure of composite multimoded weakly nonlinear optical systems

Statistical mechanics can provide a versatile theoretical framework for investigating the collective dynamics of weakly nonlinear-wave settings that can be utterly complex to describe otherwise. In optics, composite systems arise due to interactions between different frequencies and polarizations. The purpose of this work is to develop a thermodynamic theory that takes into account the synergistic action of multiple components. We find that the type of the nonlinearity involved can have important implications in the thermalization process and, hence, can lead to different thermal equilibrium conditions. Importantly, we derive closed-form expressions for the actual optomechanical pressure that is exerted on the system. In particular, the total optomechanical pressure is the sum of the partial pressures due to each component. Our results can be applied to a variety of weakly nonlinear optical settings such as multimode fibers, bulk waveguides, photonic lattices, and coupled microresonators. We present two specific examples, where two colors interact in a one-waveguide array with either a cubic or quadratic nonlinearity.

Efremidis, Nikolaos K. (ORCID:0000000298300268)↗
DOE OSTI2020

Cavity piezo-mechanics for superconducting-nanophotonic quantum interface

Abstract Hybrid quantum systems are essential for the realization of distributed quantum networks. In particular, piezo-mechanics operating at typical superconducting qubit frequencies features low thermal excitations, and offers an appealing platform to bridge superconducting quantum processors and optical telecommunication channels. However, integrating superconducting and optomechanical elements at cryogenic temperatures with sufficiently strong interactions remains a tremendous challenge. Here, we report an integrated superconducting cavity piezo-optomechanical platform where 10 GHz phonons are resonantly coupled with photons in a superconducting cavity and a nanophotonic cavity at the same time. Taking advantage of the large piezo-mechanical cooperativity ( C em ~7) and the enhanced optomechanical coupling boosted by a pulsed optical pump, we demonstrate coherent interactions at cryogenic temperatures via the observation of efficient microwave-optical photon conversion. This hybrid interface makes a substantial step towards quantum communication at large scale, as well as novel explorations in microwave-optical photon entanglement and quantum sensing mediated by gigahertz phonons.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2023

Electro-optic transduction in silicon via gigahertz-frequency nanomechanics

Interfacing electronics with optical fiber networks is key to the long-distance transfer of classical and quantum information. Piezo-optomechanical transducers enable such interfaces by using gigahertz-frequency acoustic vibrations as mediators for converting microwave photons to optical photons via the combination of optomechanical and piezoelectric interactions. However, despite successful demonstrations, efficient quantum transduction remains out of reach due to the challenges associated with hybrid material integration and increased loss from piezoelectric materials when operating in the quantum regime. Here, we demonstrate an alternative approach in which we actuate 5-GHz phonons in a conventional silicon-on-insulator platform. In our experiment, microwave photons resonantly drive a phononic crystal oscillator via the electrostatic force realized in a charge-biased narrow-gap capacitor. The mechanical vibrations are subsequently transferred via a phonon waveguide to an optomechanical cavity, where they transform into optical photons in the sideband of a pump laser field. Operating at room temperature and atmospheric pressure, we measure a microwave-to-optical photon conversion efficiency of 1.72±0.14×10 −7 in a 3.3 MHz bandwidth. Our results mark a stepping stone towards quantum transduction with integrated devices made from crystalline silicon, which promise efficient high-bandwidth operation and integration with superconducting qubits. Additionally, the lack of need for piezoelectricity or other intrinsic nonlinearities makes our approach applicable to a wide range of materials for potential applications beyond quantum technologies.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2022

Quantum metrology of low frequency electromagnetic modes with frequency upconverters

We describe the RF Quantum Upconverter (RQU) and describe its application to quantum metrology of electromagnetic modes between dc and the Very High Frequency band (VHF) (≲300MHz). The RQU uses a Josephson interferometer made up of superconducting loops and Josephson junctions to implement a parametric interaction between a low-frequency electromagnetic mode (between dc and VHF) and a mode in the microwave C Band (~ 5GHz), analogous to the radiation pressure interaction between electromagnetic and mechanical modes in cavity optomechanics. The RQU can operate as a quantum-limited op-amp, or use protocols from optomechanics to implement non-classical measurement protocols equivalent to those used in cavity optomechanics, including back-action evading (BAE) measurements, sideband cooling, and two-mode squeezing. Furthermore, these protocols enable experiments using dc-VHF electromagnetic modes as quantum sensors.

Kuenstner, Stephen E.↗