Injection locking in an optomechanical coherent phonon source

[EN] Spontaneous locking of the phase of a coherent phonon source to an external reference is demonstrated in a deeply sideband-unresolved optomechanical system. The high-amplitude mechanical oscillations are driven by the anharmonic modulation of the radiation pressure force that result from an abs...

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Bibliographic Details
Authors: Arregui, Guillermo, Colombano, Martín F., Maire, Jeremie, Pitanti, Alessandro, Capuj, Néstor E., Sotomayor-Torres, Clivia M., Navarro-Urrios, Daniel, Griol Barres, Amadeu, Martínez, Alejandro|||0000-0001-5448-0140
Format: article
Publication Date:2021
Country:España
Institution:Universitat Politècnica de València (UPV)
Repository:RiuNet. Repositorio Institucional de la Universitat Politécnica de Valéncia
Language:English
OAI Identifier:oai:riunet.upv.es:10251/185443
Online Access:https://riunet.upv.es/handle/10251/185443
Access Level:Open access
Keyword:Injection locking
Nonlinear dynamics
Optomechanics
Self-sustained oscillator
TEORIA DE LA SEÑAL Y COMUNICACIONES
Description
Summary:[EN] Spontaneous locking of the phase of a coherent phonon source to an external reference is demonstrated in a deeply sideband-unresolved optomechanical system. The high-amplitude mechanical oscillations are driven by the anharmonic modulation of the radiation pressure force that result from an absorption-mediated free-carrier/temperature limit cycle, i.e., self-pulsing. Synchronization is observed when the pump laser driving the mechanical oscillator to a self-sustained state is modulated by a radiofrequency tone. We employ a pump-probe phonon detection scheme based on an independent optical cavity to observe only the mechanical oscillator dynamics. The lock range of the oscillation frequency, i.e., the Arnold tongue, is experimentally determined over a range of external reference strengths, evidencing the possibility to tune the oscillator frequency for a range up to 350 kHz. The stability of the coherent phonon source is evaluated via its phase noise, with a maximum achieved suppression of 44 dBc/Hz at 1 kHz offset for a 100 MHz mechanical resonator. Introducing a weak modulation in the excitation laser reveals as a further knob to trigger, control and stabilize the dynamical solutions of self-pulsing based optomechanical oscillators, thus enhancing their potential as acoustic wave sources in a single-layer silicon platform.