Coherent optical wavelength conversion via cavity-optomechanics

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates a coherent optical wavelength conversion method using cavity-optomechanics, achieving high efficiency and low noise, with potential applications in quantum communication.

Contribution

It presents both a theoretical proposal and experimental validation of photon-phonon translation for wavelength conversion in silicon nanocavities.

Findings

Achieved 93% internal efficiency in wavelength conversion.

Converted signals over an 11.2 THz span with 1.5 MHz bandwidth.

Analyzed thermal and quantum noise, showing very low equivalent photon number.

Abstract

We theoretically propose and experimentally demonstrate coherent wavelength conversion of optical photons using photon-phonon translation in a cavity-optomechanical system. For an engineered silicon optomechanical crystal nanocavity supporting a 4 GHz localized phonon mode, optical signals in a 1.5 MHz bandwidth are coherently converted over a 11.2 THz frequency span between one cavity mode at wavelength 1460 nm and a second cavity mode at 1545 nm with a 93% internal (2% external) peak efficiency. The thermal and quantum limiting noise involved in the conversion process is also analyzed, and in terms of an equivalent photon number signal level are found to correspond to an internal noise level of only 6 and 4x10-3 quanta, respectively.