Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 2, 2026
08:32
Development of Whispering Gallery Mode Polymeric Micro-optical Electric Field Sensors
Published on: January 29, 2013
Nonlinear optics and crystalline whispering gallery mode cavities.
Vladimir S Ilchenko1, Anatoliy A Savchenkov, Andrey B Matsko
1Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, 4800 Oak Grove Drive, Pasadena, CA 91109-8099, USA.
Physical Review Letters
|March 6, 2004
Summary
We demonstrated parametric frequency doubling using a whispering gallery resonator made of periodically poled lithium niobate. This shows the utility of high-quality crystalline optical whispering gallery resonators for nonlinear optics.
Area of Science:
- * Nonlinear optics and photonics.
- * Materials science for optical applications.
Background:
- * Whispering gallery resonators offer high Q factors for enhanced light-matter interactions.
- * Periodically poled lithium niobate is a key material for nonlinear optical frequency conversion.
Purpose of the Study:
- * To demonstrate parametric frequency doubling in a whispering gallery cavity.
- * To showcase the effectiveness of crystalline optical resonators for nonlinear processes.
Main Methods:
- * Fabrication of crystalline optical whispering gallery resonators.
- * Implementation of parametric frequency doubling within the resonator.
Main Results:
- * Successful demonstration of parametric frequency doubling.
- * Achieved high Q factors in the fabricated resonators.
Conclusions:
- * Crystalline whispering gallery resonators are highly effective for nonlinear optical applications.
- * The demonstrated device highlights a pathway for efficient frequency conversion using integrated optical components.
Related Concept Videos
02:18Interference and Diffraction
Interference is a characteristic phenomenon exhibited by waves. When two electromagnetic waves interact with their peaks and troughs coinciding, a resulting wave with enhanced amplitude is produced. This is known as constructive interference. In this case, the two waves interacting are in phase with each other.
02:32The de Broglie Wavelength
In the macroscopic world, objects that are large enough to be seen by the naked eye follow the rules of classical physics. A billiard ball moving on a table will behave like a particle; it will continue traveling in a straight line unless it collides with another ball, or it is acted on by some other force, such as friction. The ball has a well-defined position and velocity or well-defined momentum, p = mv, which is defined by mass m and velocity v at any given moment. This is the typical...
01:28Standing Waves in a Cavity
A household microwave and lasers are examples of standing electromagnetic waves in a cavity. When two conducting metal plates are placed parallel at the nodal planes, it creates a cavity where standing waves are formed. The cavity between the two planes is analogous to a stretched string held at the points x = 0 and x = L. Here, the distance 'L' between the two planes must be an integer multiple of half of the wavelength. The wavelengths that satisfy this condition are given by:
01:04Modes of Standing Waves: II
The starting point for expressing the modes of standing waves is understanding the boundary conditions that the waves must follow. The boundary conditions are derived from the physical understanding of how the standing waves are sustained, that is, how the vibrating particles of the medium behave at the boundaries imposed on them.
For a tube open at one end and closed at the other filled with air, the modes are such that there is always an antinode at the open end and a node at the closed end.
For a tube open at one end and closed at the other filled with air, the modes are such that there is always an antinode at the open end and a node at the closed end.
01:25Imperfections in Crystal Structure: Point, Line and Plane Defects
A perfect crystal, in theory, has a uniform structure with the same unit cell and lattice points throughout. However, any deviation from this periodic arrangement is known as an imperfection or defect. These defects can be categorized into three types: point, line, and plane defects.Point defects occur when there is a deviation from the ideal due to missing atoms, displaced atoms, or additional atoms. These imperfections might occur due to imperfect packing during crystallization or because of...
01:29Imperfections in Crystal Structure: Non-Stoichiometric Defects
Non-stoichiometric defects refer to a type of defect in the crystal structure of a compound where the ratio of its constituent elements deviates from the ideal stoichiometric ratio. There are two main types of non-stoichiometric defects: metal excess defects and metal deficiency defects.Metal excess defects occur when there is a slight surplus of metal ions than what is required by the stoichiometric ratio of the compound. For example, heating a sodium chloride crystal in sodium vapor results...