Unresolved-Sideband Optomechanics with Hexagonal Boron Nitride: Induced Transparency, Gain, and Frequency Combs

Abstract

Optomechanically induced transparency (OMIT) is usually modeled and studied in the resolved-sideband regime, but many compact microcavity platforms operate in the unresolved-sideband limit $(\hat{I}º\gg \hat{I}{\text{c◯}}_m)$. Here we investigate OMIT in this regime using a tunable fiber-based Fabry-Perot microcavity coupled to a suspended hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) drum resonator in a membrane-in-the-middle geometry. The system achieves a large single-photon coupling rate of $g_0/2\ddot{I}€\sim 180$ kHz and exhibits strong radiation-pressure backaction. By measuring OMIT spectra as a function of pump power and cavity detuning, we observe a crossover from a transparency-like dip to a gain feature in the reflected response. These maps are quantitatively reproduced by the full linearized optomechanical response, demonstrating the breakdown of the standard rotating-wave approximation used in the resolved-sideband limit. Finally, we drive the system into a nonlinear regime to generate optomechanical frequency combs. These results establish hBN fiber-cavities as a versatile architecture for unresolved-sideband optomechanics, nonlinear dynamics, and hybrid device integration.

Main text: 10 pages, 5 figures; supplementary: 52 pages, 25 figures