Light-mediated cascaded locking of multiple nano-optomechanical oscillators

Abstract

Collective phenomena emerging from non-linear interactions between multiple oscillators, such as synchronization and frequency locking, find applications in a wide variety of fields. Optomechanical resonators, which are intrinsically non-linear, combine the scientific assets of mechanical devices with the possibility of long distance controlled interactions enabled by travelling light. Here we demonstrate light-mediated frequency locking of three distant nano-optomechanical oscillators positioned in a cascaded configuration. The oscillators, integrated on a chip along a coupling waveguide, are optically driven with a single laser and oscillate at gigahertz frequency. Despite an initial frequency disorder of hundreds of kilohertz, the guided light locks them all with a clear transition in the optical output. The experimental results are described by Langevin equations, paving the way to scalable cascaded optomechanical configurations.