Cavity Optomechanics

Understand

The coupling of mechanical and optical degrees of freedom via radiation pressure has been a subject of early research in the context of gravitational wave detection.

• Recent experimental advances have allowed studying for the first time the modifications of mechanical dynamics provided by radiation pressure.
• This paper reviews the consequences of back-action of light confined in whispering-gallery dielectric micro-cavities, and presents a unified treatment of its two manifestations: notably the parametric instability (parametric amplification) and radiation pressure back-action cooling.
• Parametric instability offers a novel "photonic clock" which is driven purely by the pressure of light.