We develop a set of laser rate equations that accurately describes mechanical amplification in optomechanical oscillators driven by photothermal or radiation pressure forces. In the process we introduce a set of parameters describing gain, stored energy, slope efficiency, and saturation power of the mechanical laser. We identify the three-phonon parametric interactions as a microscopic mechanism enabling self-oscillation. Our theory shows remarkable agreement with our experimental data, demonstrating that optomechanical self-oscillation is essentially a ” phonon lasing” process in which an optical pump generates coherent acoustic phonons.
%0 Journal Article
%1 Khurgin2012LaserRateEquation
%A Khurgin, J. B.
%A Pruessner, M. W.
%A Stievater, T. H.
%A Rabinovich, W. S.
%D 2012
%I American Physical Society
%J Physical Review Letters
%K optomechanical-instability amplification
%P 223904+
%R 10.1103/physrevlett.108.223904
%T Laser-Rate-Equation Description of Optomechanical Oscillators
%U http://dx.doi.org/10.1103/physrevlett.108.223904
%V 108
%X We develop a set of laser rate equations that accurately describes mechanical amplification in optomechanical oscillators driven by photothermal or radiation pressure forces. In the process we introduce a set of parameters describing gain, stored energy, slope efficiency, and saturation power of the mechanical laser. We identify the three-phonon parametric interactions as a microscopic mechanism enabling self-oscillation. Our theory shows remarkable agreement with our experimental data, demonstrating that optomechanical self-oscillation is essentially a ” phonon lasing” process in which an optical pump generates coherent acoustic phonons.
@article{Khurgin2012LaserRateEquation,
abstract = {{We develop a set of laser rate equations that accurately describes mechanical amplification in optomechanical oscillators driven by photothermal or radiation pressure forces. In the process we introduce a set of parameters describing gain, stored energy, slope efficiency, and saturation power of the mechanical laser. We identify the three-phonon parametric interactions as a microscopic mechanism enabling self-oscillation. Our theory shows remarkable agreement with our experimental data, demonstrating that optomechanical self-oscillation is essentially a ” phonon lasing” process in which an optical pump generates coherent acoustic phonons.}},
added-at = {2013-09-09T23:59:35.000+0200},
author = {Khurgin, J. B. and Pruessner, M. W. and Stievater, T. H. and Rabinovich, W. S.},
biburl = {https://www.bibsonomy.org/bibtex/28137f7c76bae3a5a6d6be5f4989c4cee/jacksankey},
citeulike-article-id = {10745486},
citeulike-linkout-0 = {http://dx.doi.org/10.1103/physrevlett.108.223904},
doi = {10.1103/physrevlett.108.223904},
interhash = {96c1cd50babd83a1a853fe0cef3c732b},
intrahash = {8137f7c76bae3a5a6d6be5f4989c4cee},
journal = {Physical Review Letters},
keywords = {optomechanical-instability amplification},
month = may,
pages = {223904+},
posted-at = {2012-06-05 21:18:17},
priority = {2},
publisher = {American Physical Society},
timestamp = {2013-09-10T00:06:56.000+0200},
title = {{Laser-Rate-Equation Description of Optomechanical Oscillators}},
url = {http://dx.doi.org/10.1103/physrevlett.108.223904},
volume = 108,
year = 2012
}