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arXiv:2608.27581

Diamond optomechanical crystals for high-frequency strain and comb generation

Elham Zohari, Waleed El-Sayed, Aria Jafari, Ahmas El-hamamsy, Peyman Parsa, Joseph E. Losby, Natália C. Carvalho, Paul E. Barclay

quant-phphysics.opticsSubmitted Aug 27, 2026• Announced Aug 31, 2026
arXivHTMLPDF

Abstract

Quantum optomechanical technologies benefit from mechanical oscillators that are high-frequency, can be coherently driven, and are capable of coupling to other quantum systems. Diamond supports all of these criteria: its large elastic modulus increases mechanical resonance frequency, its low nonlinear optical absorption increases the allowed intensity of fields used for coherent optomechanics, and it hosts spin qubits that interact with mechanical modes. Here we demonstrate a diamond optomechanical crystal cavity that supports multiple mechanical resonances with $\sim$12 GHz frequency and high $Q_\text{m} \times f_\text{m}$ product that can be coherently coupled to multiple optical modes. By exciting this sideband resolved system into mechanical self-sustained oscillations, we generate a frequency comb spanning 143 GHz. Analysis of the comb spectrum, combined with systematic characterization of the system's optomechanical coupling, allows us to quantitatively show that its mechanical oscillation amplitude reaches 130 pm. This corresponds to a maximum total dynamic strain of $1.1 \times 10^{-3}$ that is sufficiently high for future demonstrations of optomechanical control of diamond spin qubits.

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Quantum optomechanical technologies benefit from mechanical oscillators that are high-frequency, can be coherently driven, and are capable of coupling to other quantum systems. Diamond supports all of these criteria: its large elastic modulus increases mechanical resonance frequency, its low nonlinear optical absorption increases the allowed intensity of fields used for coherent optomechanics, and it hosts spin qubits that interact with mechanical modes. Here we demonstrate a diamond optomechanical crystal cavity that supports multiple mechanical resonances with ∼\sim∼12 GHz frequency and high Qm×fmQ_\text{m} \times f_\text{m}Qm​×fm​ product that can be coherently coupled to multiple optical modes. By exciting this sideband resolved system into mechanical self-sustained oscillations, we generate a frequency comb spanning 143 GHz. Analysis of the comb spectrum, combined with systematic characterization of the system's optomechanical coupling, allows us to quantitatively show that its mechanical oscillation amplitude reaches 130 pm. This corresponds to a maximum total dynamic strain of 1.1×10−31.1 \times 10^{-3}1.1×10−3 that is sufficiently high for future demonstrations of optomechanical control of diamond spin qubits.
Multimode cavity optomechanical systems allow light to couple otherwise non-interacting mechanical resonators, enabling non-Hermitian phenomena such as exceptional points, where eigenfrequencies and eigenvectors of coupled modes coalesce. Accessing an exceptional point and its nearby parameter space is a first step towards chiral mode dynamics and topological state transfer. Diamond optomechanical devices support strong coherent optomechanical coupling required to tune resonances to an exceptional point, as well as strain-coupling to spin-defects for hybrid quantum technologies, but have not yet been used for multimode non-Hermitian physics. Here we tune to an exceptional point in a diamond optomechanical crystal, which uses structural symmetry breaking to produce two high-frequency mechanical resonances coupled to an optical cavity. The exceptional point is reached within a stable operating window below the phonon-lasing threshold, and we observe asymmetric redistribution of optomechanical damping and anti-damping between hybridized modes. These results establish diamond optomechanical crystals as a platform for non-Hermitian optomechanics, opening routes to topological mechanical dynamics in hybrid spin-phonon interfaces.
Hybrid quantum devices, in which disparate quantum elements are combined in order to achieve enhanced functionality, have received much attention in recent years due to their exciting potential to address key problems in quantum information processing, communication, and control. Specifically, significant progress has been made in the field of hybrid mechanical devices, in which a qubit is coupled to a mechanical oscillator. Strong coupling in such devices has been demonstrated with superconducting qubits, and coupling defect qubits to mechanical elements via crystal strain has enabled novel methods of qubit measurement and control. In this paper we demonstrate the fabrication of diamond optomechanical crystals with embedded nitrogen-vacancy (NV) centers, a preliminary step toward reaching the quantum regime with defect qubit hybrid mechanical devices. We measure optical and mechanical resonances of diamond optomechanical crystals as well as the spin coherence of single embedded NV centers. We find that the spin has long coherence times T2∗=1.5μsT_2^* = 1.5 μsT2∗​=1.5μs and T2=72μsT_2 = 72 μsT2​=72μs despite its proximity to nanofabricated surfaces. Finally, we discuss potential improvements of these devices and prospects for future experiments in the quantum regime.
Abstract Hybrid quantum devices, in which disparate quantum elements are combined in order to achieve enhanced functionality, have received much attention in recent years due to their exciting potential to address key problems in quantum information processing, communication, and control. Specifically, significant progress has been made in the field of hybrid mechanical devices, in which a qubit is coupled to a mechanical oscillator. High cooperativity in such devices has been demonstrated with superconducting qubits, and coupling defect qubits to mechanical elements via crystal strain has enabled novel methods of qubit measurement and control. In this paper we demonstrate the fabrication of diamond optomechanical crystals (OMCs) with embedded nitrogen-vacancy (NV) centers, a preliminary step toward reaching the quantum regime with defect qubit hybrid mechanical devices. We measure optical and mechanical resonances of diamond OMCs as well as the spin coherence of single embedded NV centers. We find that the spin has long coherence times T 2 * = 1.5 μ s and T 2 = 72 μ s despite its proximity to nanofabricated surfaces. Finally, we discuss potential improvements of these devices and prospects for future experiments in the quantum regime.
Quantum transduction between microwave and optical photons plays a key role in quantum communication among remote qubits. Although the quantum transduction schemes generating communication photons have been successfully demonstrated by using optomechanical interfaces, the low conversion efficiency remains an obstacle to the implementation of a quantum network consisting of multiple qubits. Here, we present an efficient quantum transduction scheme using a one-dimensional diamond optomechanical crystal cavity tuned at a color-center emission without optomechanical coupling. The optomechanical crystal cavity incorporates a thin aluminum nitride (AlN) pad piezoelectric coupler near the concentrator cavity region, while retaining ultrasmall mechanical and optical mode volumes of about 1.5 \times 10^{-4} and ~0.2(λ/n)^3, respectively. The energy level of a coherent color-center electron is manipulated by a strong mechanical-mode-color-center electron-coupling rate up to 16.4MHz. In our system, we theoretically predict that the population-conversion efficiency from a single microwave photon into an optical photon can reach 15% combined with current technologies. The coherent conversion efficiency is over 10% with a reasonably pure decay time of T^2_{*} > 10 ns. Our results imply that an atomic color center strongly coupled to the optomechanical crystal cavity will offer a highly efficient quantum transduction platform.
Quantum transduction between microwave and optical photons plays a key role in quantum communication among remote qubits. Although the quantum transduction schemes generating communication photons have been successfully demonstrated by using optomechanical interfaces, the low conversion efficiency remains an obstacle to the implementation of a quantum network consisting of multiple qubits. Here, we present an efficient quantum transduction scheme using a one-dimensional diamond optomechanical crystal cavity tuned at a color-center emission without optomechanical coupling. The optomechanical crystal cavity incorporates a thin aluminum nitride (AlN\mathrm{Al}\mathrm{N}AlN) pad piezoelectric coupler near the concentrator cavity region, while retaining ultrasmall mechanical and optical mode volumes of about $1.5\phantom{\rule{0.1em}{0ex}}\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}\phantom{\rule{0.1em}{0ex}}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}4}({\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Lambda}}}_{p}{)}^{3}$ and $0.2(\ensuremath{\lambda}/n{)}^{3}$, respectively. The energy level of a coherent color-center electron is manipulated by a strong mechanical-mode--color-center electron-coupling rate up to 16.4 MHz. In our system, we theoretically predict that the population-conversion efficiency from a single microwave photon into an optical photon can reach 15% combined with current technologies. The coherent conversion efficiency is over 10% with a reasonably pure decay time of ${T}_{2}^{\ensuremath{\ast}}>10\phantom{\rule{0.25em}{0ex}}\mathrm{ns}$. Our results imply that an atomic color center strongly coupled to the optomechanical crystal cavity will offer a highly efficient quantum transduction platform.
Optomechanical generation of entangled optical beams is usually hindered by thermal noise. We present a theoretical study of low frequency entanglement generation between two optical harmonics emitted from a cavity optomechanical system operating in the resolved-sideband regime. The system comprises three nearly equidistant optical modes in a high-finesse cavity, with the central mode coherently driven. This configuration enables radiation-pressure interactions that generate strong quantum correlations between the two sideband modes. Remarkably, these correlations persist even at large numbers of thermal quanta if one properly engineers the optical cooling rate of the mechanical mode. Our findings demonstrate the feasibility of robust entanglement under ambient conditions, opening new avenues for hybrid quantum technologies based on mechanical interfaces and continuous-variable quantum information processing.