Abstract
We present the observation of optomechanical coupling in crystalline whispering-gallery-mode (WGM) resonators. The high purity of the material enables optical quality factors in excess of and finesse exceeding , as well as mechanical quality factors greater than . Ultrasensitive displacement measurements reveal mechanical radial modes at frequencies up to , corresponding to unprecedentedly high sideband factors (). In combination with the weak intrinsic mechanical damping this renders crystalline WGM microresonators promising for experiments in the classical and quantum regime of optomechanics.
- Received 6 November 2009
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevA.82.031804
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