Photon force microelectromechanical system cantilever combined with a fibre optic system as a measurement technique for optomechanical studies

Abstract

In this paper we present a metrological measurement technique that is a combination of fibre optic interferometry and a microelectromechanical system (MEMS) sensor for photon force (PF) measurement with traceability via an electromagnetic way. The main advantage of the presented method is the reference to the current balance, which is the primary mass/force metrological standard. The MEMS cantilever is a transducer of the photon force to the deflection that can be compensated with the use of the Lorentz force. This movement is measured with the use of the interferometer and does not require any mechanical calibration. Combining the MEMS current balance system with the interferometry is then the unique and fully metrological solution. The resolution of the proposed measurement technique is calculated to be 4 pN//Hz^(0.5) (2% uncertainty). The PF–MEMS used for the investigation is the cantilever with the resolution of 46 fN/Hz0.5, which was calculated from the thermomechanical noise, and is far below the whole system resolution limit. As far as the whole construction is based on the fibre optic system, it does not require any complex adjustment procedure and may work as an optomechanical reference in any metrological laboratory.

Microcantilever-based current balance for precise measurement of the photon force

“…In the same work 24 , the authors showed that the detection of photon force is possible with this type of the device. The performed experiment covered the harmonic actuation of the microcantilever with modulated laser light.…”