# Electromechanics in vertically coupled nanomembranes

## TL;DR

This paper demonstrates tunable electromechanical control of coupled silicon nitride membranes using piezoelectric actuation, enabling enhanced nonlinear responses and potential applications in sensing and photonics.

## Contribution

It introduces a novel monolithic optomechanical array with controllable intermode coupling and nonlinear response via piezoelectric tuning.

## Key findings

- Noninvasive tuning of mechanical modes achieved.
- Strong intermode electromechanical coupling demonstrated.
- Enhanced nonlinear response through piezoelectric actuation.

## Abstract

We investigate the electromechanical actuation of a pair of suspended silicon nitride membranes forming a monolithic optomechanical array. By controlling the membrane resonators' tensile stress via a piezoelectrically controlled compressive force applied to the membrane chip we demonstrate noninvasive tuning of their mechanical mode spectrum, as well as strong intermode electromechanical coupling. Piezoelectric actuation is also shown to enhance the nonlinear response of the membranes, which is evidenced either by parametric amplification of the fundamental mode thermal fluctuations or by resonant driving of these modes into high amplitude states. Such an electro-optomechanical membrane array represents an attractive tunable and versatile platform for sensing, photonics and optomechanics applications.