Simultaneous photon and phonon lasing in a two-tone driven optomechanical system

Abstract: Achieving simultaneous lasing of photons and phonons in optomechanical setups has great potential for applications in quantum information processing, high precision sensing and the design of hybrid photonic-phononic devices. Here, we explore this possibility with an optomechanical system driven by a two-tone field. Whenever the difference between the driving frequencies matches the associated mechanical frequency, the photon and phonon populations are found to achieve steady-state coherent oscillations, demonstrating a dual lasing phenomenon. Such drive-tone resonance condition can synchronize the phases of the photon and phonon fields, which facilitates a robust simultaneous lasing. Here, we provide analytical insights into the joint amplification of the optical and mechanical modes, and further confirm the dual lasing phenomenon by numerically calculating the relevant correlation functions and the power spectrum. Our setup, consisting of a single optomechanical cavity, is simpler than previous realizations of dual lasing and provides a clean picture of the underlying mechanisms. Our work thus paves the way for the development of novel strategies for the optimisation of optomechanical interactions through tailored driving schemes.