The coupling of electromagnetic fields to nanomechanical systems has ushered in the field of quantum optomechanics, in which vibrating objects can be studied and used at the level of their quantum zero-point motion. The authors fabricate a planar technology platform for integrating nanophotonic, nanomechanical, and superconducting microwave circuits. Joining these components could yield a quantum converter between the microwave and optical frequency domains, enabling long-range networks of superconducting qubits for quantum information processing.

Our article just appeared in Physical Review Applied:
https://journals.aps.org/prapplied/abstract/10.1103/PhysRevApplied.6.014013