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Actuation of micro-optomechanical systems via cavity-enhanced optical dipole forces

Abstract

Optical forces can produce significant mechanical effects in micro- and nanophotonic systems. Here we demonstrate a novel optomechanical system using a movable, micrometre-scale waveguide evanescently coupled to a high-Q optical microresonator. Micrometre-scale displacements of the waveguide are observed for milliwatt-level optical input powers. Measurement of the spatial variation of the force on the waveguide indicates that it arises from a cavity-enhanced optical dipole force resulting from the stored optical field of the resonator. This force is used to realize an all-optical tunable filter operating with submilliwatt control power. A theoretical model of the system shows that the maximum achievable force is independent of the intrinsic Q of the optical resonator and scales inversely with the cavity mode volume, suggesting that such forces may become even more effective as devices approach the nanoscale.

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Figure 1: Schematic diagrams of two different optomechanical cavity systems.
Figure 2: Waveguide displacement.
Figure 3: Physical structure and fields of the waveguide–resonator system.
Figure 4: Characterization of optical coupling and measurement of the CEODF.
Figure 5: Optically tunable filter demonstration.

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Acknowledgements

The authors sincerely thank T. Johnson, P. Barclay and K. Srinivasan for many fruitful discussions and helpful feedback.

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Correspondence to Oskar Painter.

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The authors declare no competing financial interests.

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Eichenfield, M., Michael, C., Perahia, R. et al. Actuation of micro-optomechanical systems via cavity-enhanced optical dipole forces. Nature Photon 1, 416–422 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1038/nphoton.2007.96

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