A breakthrough study has introduced advanced nano-optomechanical cavities, paving the way for more efficient quantum networks and improved quantum computing and communications technologies. The ability to coherently transmit information in bands of the electromagnetic spectrum from microwaves to infrared is critical to the development of advanced quantum networks for computing and communications.
Researchers at the State University of Campinas (UNICAMP) in Brazil, in collaboration with colleagues at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich (ETHZurich) and the Delft University of Technology (TU Delft) in the Netherlands, have conducted a study focusing on the use of nano-optomechanical cavities in this regard. These nanoscale resonators facilitate the interaction between high-frequency mechanical vibrations and infrared light at wavelengths used in the telecommunications industry.
An article about this research was recently published in the journal Nature Communications.
Bridging the gap between superconducting circuits and optical fibers
"Nanomechanical resonators are a bridge between superconducting circuits and optical fibers. Superconducting circuits are currently one of the most promising quantum computing technologies, while optical fibers are often used as long-distance transmitters of information with low noise and no signal loss," said Thiago Alegre, professor at the Gleb-Vatakin Institute of Physics (IFGW-UNICAMP) and the last author of the article.
One of the key innovations of this research is the introduction of dissipative optomechanics, Allegre said. Traditional optomechanical devices rely on purely dispersive interactions, where only photons localized within the cavity can be effectively dispersed. In dissipative optomechanics, photons can be scattered directly from the waveguide to the resonator.
Prior to this study, dissipative optomechanical interactions had only been demonstrated at low mechanical frequencies, which excluded important applications such as quantum state transfer between the photon (optical) and phonon (mechanical) domains. This study is the first to demonstrate that a dissipative optomechanical system operates at mechanical frequencies that exceed the optical linewidth.
"We succeeded in increasing the mechanical frequency by two orders of magnitude and increasing the opto-mechanical coupling rate by a factor of ten. This offers very promising prospects for the development of more efficient devices," said Allegre.
The devices are manufactured in collaboration with Delft University of Technology and are designed using proven technologies from the semiconductor industry. Nano-silicon beams are suspended in the air and can vibrate freely, so that infrared light and mechanical vibration are restricted at the same time. Laterally placed waveguides allow the fiber to couple to the cavity, creating dissipative coupling, a key element of the results the researchers demonstrated.
This research provides new possibilities for the construction of quantum networks. In addition to this direct application, it also lays the foundation for future basic research. "We hope to be able to manipulate mechanical modes individually and alleviate optical nonlinearities in optomechanical devices," Allegre said.
References "Dissipative optomechanics in high-frequency nanomechanical resonators" by André G. Primo, Pedro V. Pinho, Rodrigo Benevides, Simon Gröblacher, Gustavo S. Wiederhecker and Thiago P. Mayer Alegre, September 18, 2023, "Nature Communications".
DOI:10.1038/s41467-023-41127-7
Compiled source: ScitechDaily