Dissipative structures in optomechanical cavities

TL;DR

This paper explores complex nonlinear phenomena such as pattern formation and solitons in multimode optomechanical cavities, proposing realistic experimental setups and advancing understanding of their quantum properties.

Contribution

It introduces models predicting nonlinear structures in multimode optomechanical systems and suggests feasible experimental designs for their study.

Findings

Prediction of periodic patterns and localized structures

Proposal of intracavity membrane design for experiments

Advancement towards understanding quantum properties in multimode regimes

Abstract

Motivated by the increasing interest in the properties of multimode optomechanical devices, here we study a system in which a driven mode of a large-area optical cavity is despersively coupled to a deformable mechanical element. Two different models naturally appear in such scenario, for which we predict the formation of periodic patterns, localized structures (cavity solitons), and domain walls, among other complex nonlinear phenomena. Further, we propose a realistic design based on intracavity membranes where our models can be studied experimentally. Apart from its relevance to the field of nonlinear optics, the results put forward here are a necessary step towards understanding the quantum properties of optomechanical systems in the multimode regime of both the optical and mechanical degrees of freedom.