Direct laser-written optomechanical membranes in fiber Fabry-Perot cavities

TL;DR

This paper introduces a flexible, scalable method for integrating laser-written polymer membranes into fiber Fabry-Perot cavities, enabling advanced optomechanical experiments with high coupling strength and tunability.

Contribution

It demonstrates the first use of 3D laser-written polymer membranes inside fiber cavities, offering a versatile platform for scalable and tunable optomechanical systems.

Findings

Achieved vacuum coupling strengths of ~30 kHz.

Observed optomechanical spring tuning exceeding the mechanical linewidth.

Enabled direct fiber coupling and scalability for multi-resonator systems.

Abstract

Integrated micro and nanophotonic optomechanical experiments enable the manipulation of mechanical resonators on the single phonon level. Interfacing these structures requires elaborate techniques limited in tunability, flexibility, and scaling towards multi-mode systems. Here, we demonstrate a cavity optomechanical experiment using 3D-laser-written polymer membranes inside fiber Fabry-Perot cavities. Vacuum coupling strengths of ~ 30 kHz to the fundamental megahertz mechanical mode are reached. We observe optomechanical spring tuning of the mechanical resonator by tens of kHz exceeding its linewidth at cryogenic temperatures. The extreme flexibility of the laser writing process allows for a direct integration of the membrane into the microscopic cavity. The direct fiber coupling, its scaling capabilities to coupled resonator systems, and the potential implementation of dissipation dilution structures and integration of electrodes make it a promising platform for fiber-tip integrated accelerometers, optomechanically tunable multi-mode mechanical systems, or directly fiber-coupled systems for microwave to optics conversion.