Diamond as a material for monolithically integrated optical and optomechanical devices

Diamond provides superior optical and mechanical material properties, making it a prime candidate for the realization of integrated optomechanical circuits. Because diamond substrates have matured in size, efficient nanostructuring methods can be used to realize full-scale integrated devices. Here we review optical and mechanical resonators fabricated from polycrystalline as well as single crystalline diamond. We present relevant material properties with respect to implementing optomechanical devices and compare them with other material systems. We give an overview of diamond integrated optomechanical circuits and present the optical readout mechanism and the actuation via optical or electrostatic forces that have been implemented to date. By combining diamond nanophotonic circuits with superconducting nanowires single photons can be efficiently detected on such chips and we outline how future single photon optomechanical circuits can be realized on this platform. (C) 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim