摘要: Exceptional points (EPs) represent a distinct type of spectral singularity in
non-Hermitian systems, and intriguing physics concepts have been studied with
optical EPs recently. As a system beyond photonics, the mechanical oscillators
coupling with many physical systems are expected to be further exploited EPs
for mechanical sensing, topology energy transfer, nonreciprocal dynamics etc.
In this study, we demonstrated on-chip mechanical EPs with a silicon
optomechanical zipper cavity, wherein two near-degenerate mechanical breathing
modes are coupled via a single co-localized optical mode. By tailoring the
dissipative and coherent couplings between two mechanical oscillators, the
spectral splitting with 1/2 order response, a distinctive feature of EP, was
observed successfully. Our work provides an integrated platform for
investigating the physics related to mechanical EPs on silicon chips and
suggests their possible applications for ultrasensitive measurements.