Integrated On-Chip Nano-Optomechanical Systems

Abstract

Recent developments in integrated on-chip nano-optomechanical systems are reviewed. Silicon-based nano-optomechanical devices are fabricated by a two-step process, where the first step is a foundry-enabled photonic circuits patterning and the second step involves in-house mechanical device release. We show theoretically that the enhanced responsivity of near-field optical transduction of mechanical displacement in on-chip nano-optomechanical systems originates from the finesse of the optical cavity to which the mechanical device couples. An enhancement in responsivity of more than two orders of magnitude has been observed when compared side-by-side with free-space interferometry readout. We further demonstrate two approaches to facilitate large-scale device integration, namely, wavelength-division multiplexing and frequency-division multiplexing. They are capable of significantly simplifying the design complexity for addressing individual nano-optomechanical devices embedded in a large array.