A new class of hybrid systems that couple optical, electrical and mechanical degrees of freedom in nanoscale devices is under development in laboratories worldwide. These nano-opto-electro-mechanical systems (NOEMS) offer unprecedented opportunities to control the flow of light in nanophotonic structures, at high speed and low power consumption. Drawing on conceptual and technological advances from the field of optomechanics, they also bear the potential for highly efficient, low-noise transducers between microwave and optical signals, in both the classical and the quantum domains. This Perspective discusses the fundamental physical limits of NOEMS, reviews the recent progress in their implementation and suggests potential avenues for further developments in this field.

在全球范围的实验室中，正在开发一种新型的混合系统，该系统将纳米级设备中的光学，电气和机械自由度耦合在一起。这些纳米光电系统（NOEMS）为控制纳米光子结构中的光流提供了前所未有的机会，从而实现了高速度和低功耗。利用光力学领域的概念和技术进步，它们还具有在微波和光信号之间在传统域和量子域中高效，低噪声换能器的潜力。该观点讨论了NOEMS的基本物理限制，回顾了NOEMS实施的最新进展，并为该领域的进一步发展提供了潜在的途径。