High-Q optomechanical GaAs nanomembranes

TY - JOUR

T1 - High-Q optomechanical GaAs nanomembranes

AU - Liu, J.

AU - Usami, Koji

AU - Rasmussen, Andreas Næsby

AU - Bagci, Tolga

AU - Polzik, Eugene Simon

AU - Lodahl, Peter

AU - Stobbe, Søren

PY - 2011/12/12

Y1 - 2011/12/12

N2 - We demonstrate that suspended single-crystal GaAs nanomembranes exhibit mechanical Q-factors exceeding 2 × 10 6 at room temperature, which makes them a very promising platform for optomechanics. Because of the completely removed substrate and their millimeter-scale lateral size, the membranes can be incorporated in macroscopic optical cavities for quantum optomechanics experiments. We have measured the mechanical mode spectrum and spatial profiles and find good agreements with theory. Our work paves the way for optomechanical experiments with direct band gap semiconductors in which not only radiation pressure but also other mechanisms involving embedded light emitters could be exploited for quantum optical control of massive mechanical systems.

AB - We demonstrate that suspended single-crystal GaAs nanomembranes exhibit mechanical Q-factors exceeding 2 × 10 6 at room temperature, which makes them a very promising platform for optomechanics. Because of the completely removed substrate and their millimeter-scale lateral size, the membranes can be incorporated in macroscopic optical cavities for quantum optomechanics experiments. We have measured the mechanical mode spectrum and spatial profiles and find good agreements with theory. Our work paves the way for optomechanical experiments with direct band gap semiconductors in which not only radiation pressure but also other mechanisms involving embedded light emitters could be exploited for quantum optical control of massive mechanical systems.

U2 - 10.1063/1.3668092

DO - 10.1063/1.3668092

M3 - Journal article

SN - 0003-6951

VL - 99

SP - 243102

JO - Applied Physics Letters

JF - Applied Physics Letters

IS - 24

ER -