High sensitivity air-coupled MHz frequency ultrasound detection using an on-chip microtoroid cavity

Cavity optomechanical systems provide an ideal platform for ultrasound sensing, due to its dual-resonance enhanced sensitivity. Here we realize high sensitivity air-coupled ultrasound sensing in the megahertz (MHz) frequency range, using a microtoroid cavity. Benefitting from both the high optical Q factor (~10^7) and mechanical Q factor (~700), we achieve sensitivity of 46 {\mu}Pa/Hz^1/2 -10 mPa/Hz^1/2 in a frequency range of 0.25-3.2 MHz. Thermal-noise-limited sensitivity is realized around the mechanical resonance at 2.56 MHz, in a frequency range of 0.6 MHz. We also observe the second- and third-order mechanical sidebands, when driving the microcavity with an ultrasonic wave at the mechanical resonance and quantitatively study the intensities of each mechanical sideband as a function of the mechanical displacement. Measuring the combination of signal to noise ratios at all the sidebands has the potential to extend the dynamic range of displacement sensing.