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Stimulated Stokes and Antistokes Raman Scattering in Microspherical Whispering Gallery Mode Resonators
Published on: April 4, 2016
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Kerr nonlinear switching in a hybrid silica-silicon microspherical resonator
Optics Express
|July 21, 2015
Summary
Researchers developed a novel hybrid silicon-core, silica-clad microspherical resonator. This device enables ultra-fast all-optical modulation by leveraging the Kerr nonlinearity of the silicon core.
Area of Science:
- Photonics
- Materials Science
- Optical Engineering
Background:
- Whispering gallery mode resonators are crucial for optical sensing and communication.
- Integrating semiconductor nonlinearities with low-loss dielectric resonators presents fabrication challenges.
- Existing resonators often lack tunable nonlinear properties or sufficient quality factors.
Purpose of the Study:
- To fabricate and characterize a hybrid silicon-core, silica-clad microspherical resonator.
- To investigate the combined linear and nonlinear optical properties of this novel structure.
- To demonstrate all-optical modulation using the resonator's nonlinear response.
Main Methods:
- Fabrication of a microspherical resonator using a semiconductor core fiber platform.
- Linear characterization to determine resonator quality (Q) factor and mode properties.
- Nonlinear characterization to assess Kerr nonlinearity and wavelength shifting.
- All-optical modulation experiments using femtosecond pump pulses and a weak probe beam.
Main Results:
- Successful fabrication of a hybrid silicon-core, silica-clad microspherical resonator.
- Demonstration of high-quality (Q) factor whispering gallery modes supported by the silica cladding.
- Tuning of resonator modes via the nonlinear response of the crystalline silicon core.
- Achieved all-optical modulation of a probe beam on the femtosecond timescale, driven by Kerr nonlinearity.
Conclusions:
- The hybrid geometry successfully combines the low-loss properties of silica with the nonlinear response of silicon.
- This novel resonator design offers a pathway to ultra-low loss, high-Q resonators with enhanced all-optical functionalities.
- The demonstrated femtosecond all-optical modulation capability opens new avenues for high-speed optical signal processing.
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