Nonreciprocal light transmission via optomechanical parametric interactions

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates how optomechanical interactions can be used to create nonreciprocal devices like isolators and amplifiers for optical and microwave signals using blue-sideband drive tones in a system with two cavities and two mechanical oscillators.

Contribution

The study introduces a method to achieve directional amplification and isolation using purely optomechanical parametric interactions with controlled phases and drive strengths.

Findings

Achieves nonreciprocal transmission at two mirrored frequencies.

Demonstrates low thermal temperature operation.

Potential for implementation in optical and microwave systems.

Abstract

Nonreciprocal transmission of optical or microwave signals is indispensable in various applications involving sensitive measurements. In this paper, we study optomechanically induced directional amplification and isolation in a generic setup including two cavities and two mechanical oscillators by exclusively using blue-sideband drive tones. The input and output ports defined by the two cavity modes are coupled through coherent and dissipative paths mediated by the two mechanical resonators, respectively. By choosing appropriate transfer phases and strengths of the driving fields, either a directional amplifier or an isolator can be implemented at low thermal temperature, and both of them show bi-directional nonreciprocity working at two mirrored frequencies. The nonreciprocal device can potentially be demonstrated by opto- and electro-mechanical setups in both optical and microwave domains.