Nano-optomechanical Nonlinear Dielectric Metamaterials

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates that nanostructured silicon membrane-based all-dielectric metamaterials exhibit significant optomechanical nonlinearities at telecommunications wavelengths, enabling fast, energy-efficient all-optical devices with low power and high modulation speeds.

Contribution

It introduces a new class of nonlinear dielectric metamaterials with large optomechanical nonlinearities operating at low power and high frequencies.

Findings

Operate at a few microWatts per unit cell

Achieve modulation frequencies up to 152 MHz

Enable fast, compact, energy-efficient all-optical devices

Abstract

By harnessing the resonant nature of localized electromagnetic modes in a nanostructured silicon membrane, an all-dielectric metamaterial can act as nonlinear medium at optical telecommunications wavelengths. We show that such metamaterials provide extremely large optomechanical nonlinearities, operating at intensities of only a few {\mu}W per unit cell and modulation frequencies as high as 152 MHz, thereby offering a path to fast, compact and energy efficient all-optical metadevices.