We describe the design, fabrication, and measurement of a cavity opto-mechanical system consisting of two nanobeams of silicon nitride in the near-field of each other, forming a so-called zipper cavity. A photonic crystal patterning is applied to the nanobeams to localize optical and mechanical energy to the same cubic-micron-scale volume. The picrogram-scale mass of the structure, along with the strong per-photon optical gradient force, results in a giant optical spring effect. In addition, a novel damping regime is explored in which the small heat capacity of the zipper cavity results in blue-detuned opto-mechanical damping.
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