Optomechanical oscillators combine mechanical vibrations and optical signals, making them ideal as reference clocks in photonic systems. Synchronizing these oscillators is essential for efficient, error-free operation in signal processors and communication networks.
This study, led by Micro and Nanotechnology and nanoscopies for Electronic and Electrophotonic Devices (MIND), demonstrates cascaded injection locking in two silicon optomechanical crystal cavities. By modulating one cavity with a laser and linking it weakly to the other through mechanical vibrations, both synchronize without direct optical coupling. This innovative setup enables one cavity to monitor the other’s mechanical behavior, avoiding the limitations of previous methods.
The findings support scalable designs for distributing reference signals in hybrid circuits, laying groundwork for precise, efficient photonic networks.
Reference Article: “Cascaded injection locking of optomechanical crystal oscillators”, David Alonso-Tomás, Guillermo Arregui, Laura Mercadé, Alejandro Martínez, Amadeu Griol, Néstor E. Capuj, Daniel Navarro-Urrios, APL Photonics 9, 116108 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0224104.