Room temperature cavity electromechanics in the sideband-resolved regime

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates a room-temperature cavity electromechanical system using a silicon nitride resonator coupled to a microwave cavity, enabling new applications in room-temperature quantum and classical technologies.

Contribution

The work presents the first room-temperature cavity electromechanical system operating in the sideband-resolved regime with clear dynamical backaction effects.

Findings

Room-temperature operation of cavity electromechanics achieved.

Clear signatures of dynamical backaction observed.

Electromechanical coupling characterized by eigenfrequency shift and transparency.

Abstract

We demonstrate a sideband-resolved cavity electromechanical system operating at room temperature. The mechanical resonator, a strongly pre-stressed silicon nitride string, is dielectrically coupled to a three-dimensional microwave cavity made of copper. The electromechanical coupling is characterized by two measurements, the cavity-induced eigenfrequency shift of the mechanical resonator and the optomechanically induced transparency. While the former is dominated by dielectric effects, the latter reveals a clear signature of the dynamical backaction of the cavity field on the resonator. This unlocks the field of cavity electromechanics for room temperature applications.