New signal processing schemes based on photonic-phononic emitter-receivers in silicon

Abstract: Recent investigations of the photon-phonon interactions in micro- and nano-scale systems initiate new ways of signal processing with greatly enhanced performance to the unprecedented degree. In this talk, I will discuss optical forces and recent achievements in optomechanics in micro- and nano-scale systems. I will present our recent first-ever demonstration of the photonic-phononic emitter-receiver (PPER) system in multi-port silicon Brillouin-active membrane waveguides. The PPER system shows the second-order filtering responses, promising practical applications in optical RF signal processing with unprecedented frequency selectivity and performances. The controllable photon-phonon interaction in our systems could provide a host of new optical signal processing technologies.