English

Modeling Dispersive Coupling and Losses of Localized Optical and Mechanical Modes in Optomechanical Crystals

Optics 2011-10-13 v1

Abstract

Periodically structured materials can sustain both optical and mechanical excitations which are tailored by the geometry. Here we analyze the properties of dispersively coupled planar photonic and phononic crystals: optomechanical crystals. In particular, the properties of co-resonant optical and mechanical cavities in quasi-1D (patterned nanobeam) and quasi-2D (patterned membrane) geometries are studied. It is shown that the mechanical Q and optomechanical coupling in these structures can vary by many orders of magnitude with modest changes in geometry. An intuitive picture is developed based upon a perturbation theory for shifting material boundaries that allows the optomechanical properties to be designed and optimized. Several designs are presented with mechanical frequency ~ 1-10 GHz, optical Q-factor Qo > 10^7, motional masses meff 100 femtograms, optomechanical coupling length LOM < 5 microns, and a radiation-limited mechanical Q-factor Qm > 10^7.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.0908.0025,
  title  = {Modeling Dispersive Coupling and Losses of Localized Optical and Mechanical Modes in Optomechanical Crystals},
  author = {Matt Eichenfield and Jasper Chan and Amir H. Safavi-Naeini and Kerry J. Vahala and Oskar Painter},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:0908.0025},
  year   = {2011}
}

Comments

25 pages, 9 figures