Kavli Affiliate: Mohammad Mirhosseini
| First 5 Authors: Han Zhao, Alkim Bozkurt, Mohammad Mirhosseini, ,
| Summary:
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 GHz-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 piezo-optomechanical
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 $1.8 times 10^{-7}$ in a 3.3 MHz bandwidth, and
demonstrate efficient phase modulation with a half-wave voltage of $V_pi = 750
$ mV. 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 adaptable to a wide range of materials for
potential applications beyond quantum technologies.
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