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Stimulated Stokes and Antistokes Raman Scattering in Microspherical Whispering Gallery Mode Resonators
Published on: April 4, 2016
Regenerative pulsation in silica microspheres.
1Department of Physics and Oregon Center for Optics, University of Oregon, Eugene 97403, USA. ypark1@uoregon.edu
Optics Letters
|November 3, 2007
Summary
Regenerative pulsation was observed in silica microspheres due to competing nonlinearities. This phenomenon arises from the interplay between Kerr nonlinearity and diminished thermal effects near 20 Kelvin.
Area of Science:
- Nonlinear optics
- Photonics
- Materials science
Background:
- Whispering gallery modes (WGMs) are crucial for microresonators.
- Nonlinear optical effects in silica microspheres are temperature-dependent.
- Thermal nonlinearity can influence optical phenomena in microresonators.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate regenerative pulsation in silica microspheres.
- To understand the role of competing nonlinearities at low temperatures.
- To explore the influence of diminished thermal nonlinearity on optical phenomena.
Main Methods:
- Excitation of WGMs in silica microspheres using a continuous-wave laser.
- Observation of optical spectra and pulsation dynamics.
- Temperature control near 20 K to study thermal nonlinearity effects.
Main Results:
- Regenerative pulsation was observed in silica microspheres.
- The pulsation is linked to the interplay between Kerr nonlinearity and reduced thermal nonlinearity.
- A diminishing thermal nonlinearity near 20 K was characterized.
Conclusions:
- The competition between Kerr and thermal nonlinearities drives regenerative pulsation.
- Silica microspheres exhibit unique nonlinear optical behavior at low temperatures.
- Understanding these nonlinear dynamics is key for optical device applications.

