Abstract
Light carries momentum and can exert forces on objects. However, the optical force is so tiny that it makes negligible influence in our daily macroscopic world. Thanks to the rapidly advancing nanofabrication technology, fabrication of nano-scale optical and mechanical structures is now easily achievable and in such dimension effect of the optical force can become significant. By generating and controlling optical force in nanodevices, the two exciting fields of nanoscience -- nanophotonics and nanomechanics can be integrated together, which forms a promising platform for studying light-matter interaction and implementing devices with new functionalities.
In this talk, I will talk about how significant magnitude of optical force can be generated in nanostructures and how it can be exploited in an integrated nanophotonic circuit. I will also discuss how the optical and mechanical resonant elements can be incorporated to realize cavity optomechanics in nano-scaled devices for cooling and amplification.
Demonstration of practical applications enabled by this new technology such as ultra-sensitive transducers, all-optical tunable nanophotonics components, and radio frequency oscillators will be presented.
Coffee and tea will be served 20 minutes prior to the seminar.