Deformable two-dimensional photonic crystal slab for cavity optomechanics

TL;DR

This paper presents the design of a deformable 2D photonic crystal membrane with high reflectivity and suitable mechanical properties, enabling advanced cavity optomechanics experiments.

Contribution

It introduces a novel 2D photonic crystal membrane with optimized optical and mechanical features for cavity optomechanics applications.

Findings

Achieved 95% reflectivity at 1064 nm

Supported vibration modes in the megahertz range

Membrane exhibits low mass and high quality factors

Abstract

We have designed photonic crystal suspended membranes with optimized optical and mechanical properties for cavity optomechanics. Such resonators sustain vibration modes in the megahertz range with quality factors of a few thousand. Thanks to a two-dimensional square lattice of holes, their reflectivity at normal incidence at 1064 nm reaches values as high as 95%. These two features, combined with the very low mass of the membrane, open the way to the use of such periodic structures as deformable end-mirrors in Fabry-Perot cavities for the investigation of cavity optomechanical effects