High-frequency and high-quality silicon carbide optomechanical microresonators

TL;DR

This paper presents the development of silicon carbide optomechanical microresonators with high mechanical frequency, quality, and optical performance, enabling advanced applications in sensing and quantum technologies in harsh environments.

Contribution

First demonstration of SiC optomechanical microresonators combining high mechanical frequency, high Q, and high optical quality in a single device.

Findings

Mechanical frequency up to 1.69 GHz

Mechanical Q around 5500 in atmosphere

High optomechanical coupling efficiency

Abstract

Silicon carbide (SiC) exhibits excellent material properties attractive for broad applications. We demonstrate the first SiC optomechanical microresonators that integrate high mechanical frequency, high mechanical quality, and high optical quality into a single device. The radial-breathing mechanical mode has a mechanical frequency up to 1.69 GHz with a mechanical Q around 5500 in atmosphere, which corresponds to a mechanical f-Q product as high as 9.47x10^12 Hz. The strong optomechanical coupling allows us to efficiently excite and probe the coherent mechanical oscillation by optical waves. The demonstrated devices, in combination with the superior thermal property, chemical inertness, and defect characteristics of SiC, show great potential for applications in metrology, sensing, and quantum photonics, particularly in harsh environments that are challenging for other device platforms.