New Optomechanical Crystal Allows Confinement of Light and Sound

PBH writes "Physicists and engineers at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) have developed a nanoscale crystal that traps both light and sound. The interaction of light quanta (photons) and sound quanta (phomons) are so strong that they produce significant mechanical vibrations. 'Indeed, Painter points out, the interactions between sound and light in this device—dubbed an optomechanical crystal—can result in mechanical vibrations with frequencies as high as tens of gigahertz, or 10 billion cycles per second. Being able to achieve such frequencies, he explains, gives these devices the ability to send large amounts of information, and opens up a wide array of potential applications—everything from lightwave communication systems to biosensors capable of detecting (or weighing) a single macromolecule. It could also, Painter says, be used as a research tool by scientists studying nanomechanics. "These structures would give a mass sensitivity that would rival conventional nanoelectromechanical systems because light in these structures is more sensitive to motion than a conventional electrical system is."'"

Comments

Better Audio Speakers, Mics, Ultrasound, Sonar?

[sanman2]

I'm not sure what applications extremely high frequency vibrations have, but I'm thinking that this could be used to make better quality audio speakers, microphones, ultrasound, sonar, etc.

If you have such fine control over vibrations, perhaps you could create fancier waveforms, for sound that has weird properties. Phased array sonar?
Constructive and destructive interference?
I own a pair of Bose noise-canceling headphones that I enjoy, so maybe that tech would be enhanced by these crystals. Or perhaps you could make sonic weapons by building up massive disruptor wave pulses

I'm trying to think of what high frequency synchrotron radiation makes possible through EM. The extremly short wavelengths allow imaging of very tiny objects like molecules. So would extremely short mechanical wavelengths allow extremely fine sonic imaging of... individual cells?

Re:Better Audio Speakers, Mics, Ultrasound, Sonar?

[DJRumpy]

I was thinking more along the lines of communication data. Crystals of this sort could be placed on either end of a pipe, and translate the data into and from ultra high frequency. Essentially working like a switch. If the data travels well in those frequencies, I could see massive potential in communications.

I also see storage potential here as well.