01943nas a2200121 4500008004100000245007800041210006900119520154200188100001801730700001901748700001701767856003701784 2018 eng d00aDynamic suppression of Rayleigh light scattering in dielectric resonators0 aDynamic suppression of Rayleigh light scattering in dielectric r3 a

The ultimate limits of performance for any classical optical system are set by sub-wavelength fluctuations within the host material, that may be frozen-in or even dynamically induced. The most common manifestation of such sub-wavelength disorder is Rayleigh light scattering, which is observed in nearly all wave-guiding technologies today and can lead to both irreversible radiative losses as well as undesirable intermodal coupling. While it has been shown that backscattering from disorder can be suppressed by breaking time-reversal symmetry in magneto-optic and topological insulator materials, common optical dielectrics possess neither of these properties. Here we demonstrate an optomechanical approach for dynamically suppressing Rayleigh backscattering within dielectric resonators. We achieve this by locally breaking time-reversal symmetry in a silica resonator through a Brillouin scattering interaction that is available in all materials. Near-complete suppression of Rayleigh backscattering is experimentally confirmed through three independent measurements -- the reduction of the back-reflections caused by scatterers, the elimination of a commonly seen normal-mode splitting effect, and by measurement of the reduction in intrinsic optical loss. More broadly, our results provide new evidence that it is possible to dynamically suppress Rayleigh backscattering within any optical dielectric medium, for achieving robust light propagation in nanophotonic devices in spite of the presence of scatterers or defects.

1 aKim, Seunghwi1 aTaylor, J., M.1 aBahl, Gaurav uhttps://arxiv.org/abs/1803.0236601808nas a2200169 4500008004100000245009500041210006900136260001500205300000800220490000600228520129700234100001801531700001601549700001901565700001701584856003701601 2017 eng d00aDynamically induced robust phonon transport and chiral cooling in an optomechanical system0 aDynamically induced robust phonon transport and chiral cooling i c2017/06/19 a2050 v83 a

The transport of sound and heat, in the form of phonons, has a fundamental material limit: disorder-induced scattering. In electronic and optical settings, introduction of chiral transport - in which carrier propagation exhibits broken parity symmetry - provides robustness against such disorder by preventing elastic backscattering. Here we experimentally demonstrate a path for achieving robust phonon transport even in the presence of material disorder, by dynamically inducing chirality through traveling-wave optomechanical coupling. Using this approach, we demonstrate dramatic optically-induced chiral transport for clockwise and counterclockwise phonons in a symmetric resonator. This induced chirality also enhances isolation from the thermal bath and leads to gain-free reduction of the intrinsic damping of the phonons. Surprisingly, this passive mechanism is also accompanied by a chiral reduction in heat load leading to a novel optical cooling of the mechanics. This technique has the potential to improve upon the fundamental thermal limits of resonant mechanical sensor, which cannot be otherwise attained through conventional optomechanical cooling.

1 aKim, Seunghwi1 aXu, Xunnong1 aTaylor, J., M.1 aBahl, Gaurav uhttps://arxiv.org/abs/1609.08674