Self-pulsations in a microcavity Brillouin laser.

Area of Science:

• Photonics
• Laser Physics
• Nonlinear Optics

Background:

• Microcavity lasers offer enhanced light-matter interactions.
• Brillouin scattering provides a mechanism for light amplification and frequency conversion.
• Thermo-optic effects can influence laser dynamics due to temperature-dependent refractive index changes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To demonstrate a new type of self-pulsation in a microcavity Brillouin laser.
• To investigate the underlying physical mechanisms responsible for the observed self-pulsation.
• To validate experimental findings with theoretical modeling.

Main Methods:

• Experimental setup of a microcavity Brillouin laser.
• Observation and characterization of self-pulsation phenomena.
• Development of a coupled-mode theory for numerical simulations.

Main Results:

• A novel self-pulsation regime was experimentally demonstrated in a microcavity Brillouin laser.
• The self-pulsation arises from the interplay between Brillouin lasing and the thermo-optic effect.
• Simultaneous self-pulsation was observed in both the input pump and the backward Brillouin lasing emission.
• Numerical simulations based on coupled-mode theory showed excellent agreement with experimental results.

Conclusions:

• The study reveals a new self-pulsation mechanism in microcavity Brillouin lasers.
• The thermo-optic effect plays a crucial role in generating these pulsations.
• The developed theoretical model accurately predicts the experimental observations, providing a deeper understanding of the laser dynamics.