查看文章

Optomechanical setups span a vast range of sizes and masses, as do their applications and aims-from testing the foundations of the quantum theory to precision sensing and detecting gravitational waves1− 5. More generally speaking, these experiments are performed not only in the optical, but also in the microwave domain. The two meet in efforts to develop an optical-to-microwave transducer, which would, in turn, be of use in quantum computing. In view of the integration of membrane resonators with more complex microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) 6, we developed a general fabrication procedure for circular shape SiNx membranes using deep reactive ion etching (DRIE) 7. The membranes were used as resonators in a Michelson interferometer and a Fabry-Pérot cavity to study their properties. Albeit the fabrication procedure has yet to be optimized, both mechanical quality factors and optical roughness are comparable to those of commercially available membranes, while the optical absorption is almost an order of magnitude lower. Finally, we present our ongoing work in trying to achieve three-mode coupling in a membrane-in-the-middle optomechanical setup, which would also encompass ground state cooling of the mechanical mode and squeezing in the output light.