Generating X-band phonons in a nanostructured silicon optomechanical cavity

Abstract

We report on a nanostructured silicon resonator achieving optomechanical coupling between C-band photons and X-band phonons. We experimentally show the generation of 10GHz phonons, with decay rate of 3.49 MHz. This result opens new prospects for high-frequency silicon optomechanics with applications in communications, sensing and quantum-state control.