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Science 29 August 2008:
Vol. 321. no. 5893, pp. 1172 - 1176
DOI: 10.1126/science.1156032
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Review

Cavity Optomechanics: Back-Action at the Mesoscale

T. J. Kippenberg1*{dagger} and K. J. Vahala2*

The coupling of optical and mechanical degrees of freedom is the underlying principle of many techniques to measure mechanical displacement, from macroscale gravitational wave detectors to microscale cantilevers used in scanning probe microscopy. Recent experiments have reached a regime where the back-action of photons caused by radiation pressure can influence the optomechanical dynamics, giving rise to a host of long-anticipated phenomena. Here we review these developments and discuss the opportunities for innovative technology as well as for fundamental science.

1 Max Planck Institute für Quantenoptik, 85748 Garching, Germany.
2 Department of Applied Physics, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA.

{dagger} Present address: Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland.

* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: tjk{at}mpq.mpg.de (T.J.K.); vahala{at}caltech.edu (K.J.V.)

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Science. ISSN 0036-8075 (print), 1095-9203 (online)