Synchronization and Phase Noise Reduction in Micromechanical Oscillators Arrays Coupled through Light

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates optical coupling of silicon nitride micromechanical oscillators leading to synchronization and significant phase noise reduction, paving the way for advanced oscillator networks.

Contribution

It introduces a novel optical coupling method for micromechanical oscillators that achieves synchronization and reduces phase noise beyond individual limits.

Findings

Synchronization achieved through optical radiation coupling

Phase noise reduced by nearly 10 dB in synchronized oscillators

Practical approach for oscillator network development

Abstract

Synchronization of many coupled oscillators is widely found in nature and has the potential to revolutionize timing technologies. Here we demonstrate synchronization in arrays of silicon nitride micromechanical oscillators coupled purely through optical radiation field. We show that the phase noise of the synchronized oscillators can be improved by almost 10 dB below the phase noise limit for each individual oscillator. These results open a practical route towards synchronized oscillator networks.