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Unidirectional lasing emerging from frozen light in nonreciprocal cavities
H Ramezani1, S Kalish1, I Vitebskiy2
1Department of Physics, Wesleyan University, Middletown, Connecticut 06459, USA.
Physical Review Letters
|March 4, 2014
Summary
We discovered unidirectional lasing modes in nonreciprocal slow-wave structures. These lasers operate independently of size and are key for photonic integrated circuits.
Area of Science:
- Photonics
- Optics
- Materials Science
Background:
- Nonreciprocal slow-wave structures are crucial for integrated photonics.
- Existing structures often lack unidirectional lasing capabilities.
- Broken symmetries are key to achieving novel optical phenomena.
Purpose of the Study:
- To introduce and characterize a new class of unidirectional lasing modes.
- To explore the properties of these modes in broken symmetry cavities.
- To assess their potential applications in photonic integrated circuits.
Main Methods:
- Theoretical analysis of nonreciprocal slow-wave structures.
- Investigation of the frozen mode regime.
- Simulation of asymmetric cavity modes.
- Analysis of lasing frequency dependence on cavity size.
Main Results:
- Identification of unidirectional lasing modes.
- Demonstration that these modes exist in cavities with broken time-reversal and space inversion symmetries.
- Lasing frequency is tied to a spectral stationary inflection point.
- Lasing frequency is virtually independent of cavity size.
Conclusions:
- The discovered unidirectional lasing modes offer a novel functionality for photonic devices.
- These lasers are robust against variations in cavity size.
- They represent indispensable components for future photonic integrated circuitry.
