The synchronization of coupled oscillators is a phenomenon found throughout nature. Mechanical oscillators are paradigmatic among such systems, but realising them at the nanoscale is challenging. We report synchronization of the mechanical dynamics of a pair of optomechanical crystal cavities that are intercoupled with a mechanical link and support independent optical modes. In this regime they oscillate in anti-phase, which is in agreement with the predictions of our numerical model that considers reactive coupling. Finally, we show how to temporarily disable synchronization of the coupled system by actuating one of the cavities with a heating laser, so that both cavities oscillate independently.Our results can be upscaled to more than two cavities and are thus the first step towards realizing integrated networks of synchronized optomechanical oscillators. Such networks promise unparalleled performances for time-keeping and sensing purposes and unveil a new route for neuromorphic computing applications.
The backscattering mean free path ξ, the average ballistic propagation length along a waveguide, quantifies the resistance of slow light against unwanted imperfections in the critical dimensions of the nanostructure. This figure of merit determines the crossover between acceptable slow-light transmission affected by minimal scattering losses and a strong backscattering-induced destructive interference when the waveguide length L exceeds ξ. Here, we calculate the backscattering mean free path for a topological photonic waveguide for a specific and determined amount of disorder and, equally relevant, for a fixed value of the group index n g which is the slowdown factor of the group velocity with respect to the speed of light in vacuum. These two figures of merit, ξ and n g , should be taken into account when quantifying the robustness of topological and conventional (nontopological) slow-light transport at the nanoscale. Otherwise, any claim on a better performance of topological guided light over a conventional one is not justified.
We present a comparative investigation of the influence of crystallinity and film thickness on the acoustic and thermal properties of layered PtSe2 films of varying thickness (1–40 layers) using frequency-domain thermo-reflectance, low-frequency Raman, and pump-probe coherent phonon spectroscopy. We find ballistic cross-plane heat transport up to ~30 layers PtSe2 and a 35% reduction in the cross-plane thermal conductivity of polycrystalline films with thickness larger than 20 layers compared to the crystalline films of the same thickness. First-principles calculations further reveal a high degree of thermal conductivity anisotropy and a remarkable large contribution of the optical phonons to the thermal conductivity in bulk (~20%) and thin PtSe2 films (~30%). Moreover, we show strong interlayer interactions in PtSe2, short acoustic phonon lifetimes in the range of picoseconds, an out-of-plane elastic constant of 31.8 GPa, and a layer-dependent group velocity ranging from 1340 ms−1 in bilayer to 1873 ms−1 in eight layers of PtSe2. The potential of tuning the lattice thermal conductivity of layered materials with the level of crystallinity and the real-time observation of coherent phonon dynamics open a new playground for research in 2D thermoelectric devices and provides guidelines for thermal management in 2D electronics.
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.
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