Kavli Affiliate: Simon Groblacher
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| Summary:
The coherent transduction of information between microwave and optical
domains is a fundamental building block for future quantum networks. A
promising way to bridge these widely different frequencies is using
high-frequency nanomechanical resonators interacting with low-loss optical
modes. State-of-the-art optomechanical devices require a relatively large
photon population in the cavity to enhance the acousto-optic coupling, the heat
arising from undesirable optical absorption, however, generates thermal phonons
that ultimately hinder their operation in the quantum regime. One way to
overcome this problem is by using dissipative optomechanics. In this framework,
photons can be scattered directly from a waveguide into a resonator, reducing
the need for a large intra-cavity photon population. Hitherto, such dissipative
optomechanical interaction was only demonstrated at low mechanical frequencies,
precluding the quantum state transfer between photonic and phononic domains.
Here, we show the first dissipative optomechanical system operating in the
sideband-resolved regime, where the mechanical frequency is larger than the
optical linewidth. Exploring this unprecedented regime, we demonstrate the
impact of dissipative optomechanical coupling in reshaping both mechanical and
optical spectra. Our figures represent a two-order-of-magnitude leap in the
mechanical frequency and a tenfold increase in the dissipative optomechanical
coupling rate compared to previous works. The present demonstration opens a
path to strongly dissipative optomechanical devices with nearly noiseless
operation in the quantum regime.
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