Periodic Reporting for period 2 - PALANTIRI (Phase-sensitive Alteration of Light colorAtioN in quadri-parTIte gaRnet cavIty)
Periodo di rendicontazione: 2023-10-01 al 2024-09-30
In PALANTIRI, we propose a radically new approach to opto-mechanics by inserting a magnetic element that maintains high cooperativity both with the mechanical mode via magneto-elasticity and with the microwave antenna via contactless inductive coupling. The cost of the increased complexity is the gain of a substantial increase in the effective coupling strength: through magneto-elasticity and opto-mechanics we combine the best of both worlds, i.e. a much stronger coupling to microwaves compared to purely mechanical systems and to optical modes than the purely magnetic systems. This is made possible by recent advances in materials science that allow the fabrication of free-standing micron-sized disks of the ultra-high quality magnetic insulator yttrium iron garnet. The subsequent challenge is the implementation of this idea in the form of an on-chip integrated device. The scientific goal of PALANTIRI is to deliver a proof-of-principle on-chip analog coherent frequency converter with high efficiency within 42 months. The delivered phase-sensitive device will provide the breakthroughs needed to radically expand the connectivity capacity of a backhaul network, enabling high-speed Internet access for anyone, anywhere. It will also provide the fundamental building block for the quantum-capable Internet infrastructure of the future.
During the second period, two new home-made experimental setups were built to measure the opto-mechanical coupling. The first is a dedicated Brillouin light scattering spectrometer operating inside an electromagnet. The second is a scanning interferometer to map the elastic deformation oscillating at microwave frequencies with a spatial resolution reaching the diffraction limit and a sensitivity of a few picometers. Both setups will allow a spectral and spatial characterization of the opto-mechanical mechanism.