High quality mechanical and optical properties of commercial silicon nitride membranes
arXiv:0711.2263 · doi:10.1063/1.2884191
Abstract
We have measured the optical and mechanical loss of commercial silicon nitride membranes. We find that 50 nm-thick, 1 mm^2 membranes have mechanical Q > 10^6 at 293 K, and Q > 10^7 at 300 mK, well above what has been observed in devices with comparable dimensions. The near-IR optical loss at 293 K is less than 2E-4. This combination of properties make these membranes attractive candidates for studying quantum effects in optomechanical systems.
4 pages, 4 figures