Optomechanical Sensors Based on Exceptional Points

Abstract

We propose optomechanical sensors operating at exceptional points (EPs) by exploiting synthetic magnetism in a passive system. The system consists of two mechanically coupled resonators, optically excited through a phase-dependent phonon transfer mechanism. When a particular phase-matching condition of π ( 2 n + 1 ) is satisfied, a series of exceptional points emerges. Any perturbation breaks this condition, lifts the degeneracy, and induces a frequency splitting that varies with the square root of the perturbation intensity, leading to enhanced sensitivity. The introduction of quantum squeezing allows for the reduction of noise amplification effects and improves the sensitivity of EP-based sensors, indirectly also lowering the system’s input optical power. By leveraging multiple EPs, this approach demonstrates enhanced sensitivity compared to anti-PT symmetric sensors under similar parameter conditions, paving the way for applications in mass detection, nanoparticle sensing, and environmental monitoring.