Frequency-tunable single-photon router based on a microresonator containing a driven three-level emitter

We propose a frequency-tunable router of single photons with high routing efficiency, which is constructed by two waveguides mediately linked by a single-mode whispering gallery resonator with a driven three-level emitter. Quantum routing probability in the output port is obtained via the real-space Hamiltonian. By adjusting the resonator–emitter coupling and the drive, the desired continuous central frequencies for the resonance peaks of routing photons can be manipulated nearly linearly, with the assistance of Rabi splitting effect and optical Stark shift. The proposed routing system may provide potential applications in designing other frequency-modulation quantum optical devices, such as multiplexers,filters, and so on.

Tunable Multichannel Quantum Routing of Single Photons Based on Single-Mode Microresonators

We have suggested a novel multiport quantum router of single photons with reflection feedback, which is formed by three waveguides coupled with four single-mode microresonators. The single-photon routing probabilities of four channels in the coupled system are studied theoretically by applying the real-space approach. Numerical results indicate that unidirectional routing in these output channels can be effectively implemented, and the router is tunable to route desired frequencies into the output ports, by varying the inter-resonator detunings via spinning resonator technology. Therefore, the proposed multichannel system can provide potential applications in optical quantum communication.

Sensing and lasing applications of whispering gallery mode microresonators

Optical whispering gallery mode （WGM） microresonators have attracted great attention due to their remarkable proper- ties such as extremely high quality factor, small mode volume, tight confinement of modes, and strong evanescent field. All these properties of WGM microresonators have ensured their great potentials for applications, such as physical sen- sors, bio/chemical sensors and microlasers. In this mini-review, the key parameters and coupling conditions of WGM microresonators are firstly introduced. The geometries of WGM optical microcavities are presented based on their fabri- cation methods. This is followed by the discussion on the state-of-the-art applications of WGM microresonators in sen- sors and microlasers.

Rational design of thermoelastic damping in microresonators with phase-lagging heat conduction law

The design of thermoelastic damping(TED)affected by the phase-lagging non-Fourier heat conduction effects becomes significant but challenging for enlarging the quality factor of widely-used microresonators operating in extreme situations,including ultra-high excitation frequency and ultra-low working temperature.However,there does not exist a rational method for designing the TED in the framework of non-Fourier heat conduction law.This work,therefore,proposes a design framework to achieve low thermoelastic dissipation of microresonators governed by the phase-lagging heat conduction law.The equation of motion and the heat conduction equation for phase-lagging TED microresonators are derived first,and then the non-Fourier TED design problem is proposed.A topology optimization-based rational design method is used to resolve the design problem.What is more,a two-dimensional(2D)plain-strain-based finite element method(FEM)is developed as a solver for the topology optimization process.Based on the suggested rational design technique,numerical instances with various phase lags are investigated.The results show that the proposed design method can remarkably reduce the dissipation of microresonators by tailoring their substructures.

Fabrication of microresonators by using photoresist developer as etchant

In superconducting circuit,microwave resonators and capacitors are crucial components,and their quality has a strong impact on circuit performance.Here we develop a novel wet etching process to define these two components using common photoresist developer as etchant.This method reduces subsequent steps and can be completed immediately after development.By measuring the internal quality factor of resonators,we show that it is possible to achieve similar or better performance when compared with samples made by standard etching processes.This easy-to-implement method may boost the yield hence providing an alternative fabrication process for microwave resonators and capacitors.

Effects of Resonator Loss on Output Characteristics of Ring Microresonator Filter

The ring microresonator filter considering resonator inner loss is analyzed theoretically, which has one input port and two output ports. Some universal relations for coupling of optical power between microresonator and dielectric waveguides are presented. The analytical expressions of filter bandwidth or the full width at half maximum(FWHM), free spectral range and finesse of resonator are derived. The characteristics of the ring microresonator filter are discussed numerically. It is demonstrated that the loss of the ring resonator reduces the peak value of transmission, widens the filter bandwidth, and reduces the finesse of the resonator filter.

A 4 MHz Lamé mode microresonator-based oscil lator

A 4.13 MHz reference oscillator incorporating a capacitive single-crystal-silicon （SCS） micromechanical resonator is presented. The microresonator is fabricated using a cavity silicon-on-insulator （cavity-SOl） process and is excited in the Lain6 mode with electrostatic driving and capacitive sensing. The Lam6 mode may be described as a square plate that is cont- racting along one axis in the fabrication plane, while simultaneously extending along an orthogonal axis in the same plane. The microresonator exhibits a quality factor as high as 1.4 × 10^6 and a resonant frequency of 4.13 MHz at a pressure of 0.08 mbar. The output spectrum of the oscillator shows that the silicon micromechanical resonator is adapted as a timing element for a precision oscillator.

EFFECT OF ELECTROSTATIC RESISTANCE ON THE SHUTTLE OF MICRORESONATOR

To improve the performance and reliability of microelectromechanical system＇s devices, it is necessary to understand the effect of friction which exists in the majority of microelectromechanical systems （MEMS） with a large ratio of surface area to their volume. The model of electrostatic tangential force of the shuttle in laterally driven comb microresonator is established based on the rule of energy conservation. The effects of microscale, surface roughness, applied voltage, and micro asperities or dents or holes formed in fabrication are investigated, and the electrostatic resistance between two charged moving plates is analyzed. The analytic results are coincident well with those of ANSYS simulation. It is found that the electrostatic resistance becomes high as the increase of the ratio of the shuttle width to the gap between moving plates and the relative surface roughness or the increment of the applied voltage.

Harnessing sub-comb dynamics in a graphene-sensitized microresonator for gas detection

Since their inception, frequency combs generated in microresonators, known as microcombs, have sparked significant scientific interests. Among the various applications leveraging microcombs, soliton microcombs are often preferred due to their inherent mode-locking capability. However, this choice introduces additional system complexity because an initialization process is required. Meanwhile, despite the theoretical understanding of the dynamics of other comb states, their practical potential, particularly in applications like sensing where simplicity is valued, remains largely untapped. Here, we demonstrate controllable generation of sub-combs that bypasses the need for accessing bistable regime. And in a graphene-sensitized microresonator, the sub-comb heterodynes produce stable, accurate microwave signals for high-precision gas detection. By exploring the formation dynamics of sub-combs, we achieved 2 MHz harmonic comb-to-comb beat notes with a signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) greater than 50 dB and phase noise as low as – 82 dBc/Hz at 1 MHz offset. The graphene sensitization on the intracavity probes results in exceptional frequency responsiveness to the adsorption of gas molecules on the graphene of microcavity surface, enabling detect limits down to the parts per billion (ppb) level. This synergy between graphene and sub-comb formation dynamics in a microcavity structure showcases the feasibility of utilizing microcombs in an incoherent state prior to soliton locking. It may mark a significant step toward the development of easy-to-operate, systemically simple, compact, and high-performance photonic sensors.

Reversible generation of dissipative Kerr solitons in a microresonator by the backward tuning method

Soliton generation schemes have attracted considerable scholarly attention.This paper introduces a novel backward tuning method for the reversible generation of dissipative Kerr solitons(DKSs).Reversible soliton generation relies on the thermal stabilization of the auxiliary laser,coupled with backward tuning of the pump laser,significantly increasing the range of soliton steps by over 10 times.Moreover,the method alleviates the stringent auxiliary laser detuning requirement.By adjusting the detuning of the auxiliary laser,diverse numbers of solitons can be deterministically generated,enhancing both flexibility and precision.

Recent advances in laser self-injection locking to high-Q microresonators

The stabilization and manipulation of laser frequency by means of an external cavity are nearly ubiquitously used in fundamental research and laser applications. While most of the laser light transmits through the cavity, in the presence of some back-scattered light from the cavity to the laser, the self-injection locking effect can take place, which locks the laser emission frequency to the cavity mode of similar frequency. The self-injection locking leads to dramatic reduction of laser linewidth and noise. Using this approach, a common semiconductor laser locked to an ultrahigh-Q microresonator can obtain sub-Hertz linewidth, on par with state-of-the-art fiber lasers. Therefore it paves the way to manufacture high-performance semiconductor lasers with reduced footprint and cost. Moreover, with high laser power, the optical nonlinearity of the microresonator drastically changes the laser dynamics, offering routes for simultaneous pulse and frequency comb generation in the same microresonator. Particularly, integrated photonics technology, enabling components fabricated via semiconductor CMOS process, has brought increasing and extending interest to laser manufacturing using this method. In this article, we present a comprehensive tutorial on analytical and numerical methods of laser self-injection locking, as well a review of most recent theoretical and experimental achievements.

χ(^(2)) nonlinear photonics in integrated microresonators

Second-order(χ^((2))) optical nonlinearity is one of the most common mechanisms for modulating and generating coherent light in photonic devices.Due to strong photon confnement and long photon lifetime,integrated microresonators have emerged as an ideal platform for investigation of nonlinear optical efects.However,existing silicon-based materials lack a χ^((2)) response due to their centrosymmetric structures.A variety of novel material platforms possessing χ^((2)) nonlinearity have been developed over the past two decades.This review comprehensively summarizes the progress of second-order nonlinear optical efects in integrated microresonators.First,the basic principles of χ^((2)) nonlinear efects are introduced.Afterward,we highlight the commonly used χ^((2)) nonlinear optical materials,including their material properties and respective functional devices.We also discuss the prospects and challenges of utilizing χ^((2)) nonlinearity in the feld of integrated microcavity photonics.

Spinning microresonator-induced chiral optical transmission

Chiral quantum optics is a new research area in light-matter interaction that depends on the direction of light propagation and offers a new path for the quantum regulation of light-matter interactions.In this paper,we study a spinning Kerr-type microresonator coupled withΛ-type atom ensembles,which are driven in opposite directions to generate asymmetric photon statistics.We find that a photon blockade can only be generated by driving the spinning resonator on right side without driving the spinning microresonator from the left side,resulting in chirality.The coupling strength between system modes can be precisely controlled by adjusting the detuning amount of the atomic pump field.Because of the splitting of the resonant frequency generated by the Fizeau drag,the destructive quantum interference generated in right side drive prevents the nonresonant transition path of state|1,0⟩to state|2,0⟩.This direction-dependent chiral quantum optics is expected to be applied to chiral optical devices,single-photon sources and nonreciprocal quantum communications.

Transverse mode interaction-induced Raman laser switching dynamics in a silica rod microresonator

We investigate the mechanisms to realize the Raman laser switching in a silica rod microresonator with mode-interactionassisted excitation.The laser switching can be triggered between two whispering gallery modes[WGMs]with either the same or distinct mode families,depending on the pumping conditions.The experimental observations are in excellent agreement with a theoretical analysis based on coupled-mode equations with intermodal interaction terms involved.Additionally,we also demonstrate switching of a single-mode Raman laser and a wideband spectral tuning range up to~32.67 nm by selective excitation of distinct mode sequences.The results contribute to the understanding of Raman lasing formation dynamics via interaction with transverse mode sequences and may extend the microcavity-based Raman microlasers to potential areas in switchable light sources,optical memories,and high sensitivity sensors.

Soliton microcomb generation by cavity polygon modes

Soliton microcombs,which require the hosting cavity to operate in an anomalous dispersion regime,are essential to integrate photonic systems.In the past,soliton microcombs were generated on cavity whispering gallery modes(WGMs),and the anomalous dispersion requirement of the cavity made by normal dispersion material was achieved through structural dispersion engineering.This inevitably degrades the cavity optical quality factor(Q)and increases pump threshold power for soliton comb generation.To overcome the challenges,here,we report a soliton microcomb excited by cavity polygon modes.These modes display anomalous dispersion at near-infrared while optical Q factors exceeding 4×10^(6) are maintained.Consequently,a soliton comb spanning from 1450 nm to 1620 nm with a record low pump power of 11 m W is demonstrated,a three-fold improvement compared to the state of the art on the same material platform.

Second harmonic generation in a high-Q lithium niobate microresonator fabricated by femtosecond laser micromachining

We report on second harmonic generation(SHG) in on-chip high-Q(>105) lithium niobate(Li Nb O3, LN) microresonators fabricated by femtosecond laser micromachining. We examine the efficiency of SHG with either a continuous-wave(CW) or an ultrashort pulsed pump laser. The normalized conversion efficiencies of SHG obtained with the CW and pulsed pump lasers are measured to be 1.35×10?5 m W?1 and 2.30×10?6 m W?1, respectively.

Single whispering-gallery mode lasing in polymer bottle microresonators via spatial pump engineering

Single-mode lasing in whispering-gallery mode(WGM)microresonators is challenging to achieve.In bottle microresonators,the highly non-degenerated WGMs are spatially well-separated along the long-axis direction and provide mode-selection capability.In this work,by engineering the pump intensity to modify the spatial gain profiles of bottle microresonators,we demonstrate a simple and general approach to realizing single-mode WGM lasing in polymer bottle microresonators.The pump intensity is engineered into an interference distribution on the bottle microresonator surface.By tuning the spacing between axial positions of the interference pump patterns,the mode intensity profiles of single-bottle WGMs can be spatially overlapped with the interference stripes,intrinsically enabling single-mode lasing and selection.Attractive advantages of the system,including high sidemode suppression factors 420 dB,large spectral tunability 48 nm,low-lasing threshold and reversible control,are presented.Our demonstrated approach may have a variety of promising applications,ranging from tunable single-mode lasing and sensing to nonlinear optics.

Fabrication of the high-Q Si_(3)N_(4) microresonators for soliton microcombs

The microresonator-based soliton microcomb has shown a promising future in many applications.In this work,we report the fabrication of high quality[Q]Si_(3)N_(4)microring resonators for soliton microcomb generation.By developing the fabri-cation process with crack isolation trenches and annealing,we can deposit thick stoichiometric Si3N4 film of 800 nm without cracks in the central area.The highest intrinsic Q of the Si_(3)N_(4)microring obtained in our experiments is about 6×10^(6),corresponding to a propagation loss as low as 0.058 dBm/cm.With such a high Q film,we fabricate microrings with the anomalous dispersion and demonstrate the generation of soliton microcombs with 100 mW on-chip pump power,with an optical parametric oscillation threshold of only 13.4 mW.Our Si_(3)N_(4)integrated chip provides an ideal platform for researches and applications of nonlinear photonics and integrated photonics.

High-Q whispering gallery modes in a polymer microresonator with broad strain tuning

We have reported the high-Q whispering gallery modes(WGMs) in a polydimethylsiloxane(PDMS) optical microresonators with broad tuning range. The PDMS microresonators are fabricated at the center of two collimating fiber tips, which can be controlled by the piezoelectric stage. Through stretching the fiber stem, the tuning range of WGMs are demonstrated more than 50 nm.Further investigations demonstrated that the WGM shift has a high force sensitivity(～ 19.7 pm/μN) of the gravitation when the microcavity is stretched by a weight. The theoretical analysis reveals that the high force sensitivity of polymer microresonator can be used for the weak force or height measurement.

Spectrally multiplexed and bright entangled photon pairs in a lithium niobate microresonator

On-chip bright quantum sources with multiplexing ability are extremely high in demand for integrated quantum networks with unprecedented scalability and complexity.Here,we demonstrate a bright and broadband biphoton quantum source with spectral multiplexing generated in a lithium niobate microresonator system.Without introducing the conventional domain poling,the on-chip microdisk produces photon pairs covering a broad bandwidth promised by natural phase matching in spontaneous parametric down conversion.Experimentally,the multiplexed photon pairs are characterized by 30 nm bandwidth limited by the filtering system,providing over 40 multiplexing channels with a 0.8 nm channel spacing.Meanwhile,the generation rate reaches 5.13 MHz/μW with a coincidence-to-accidental ratio up to 804,and the quantum source manifests a high purity with a heralded single photon correlation g^((2))_(H)(0)=0.0098±0.0021.Furthermore,the energy-time entanglement is demonstrated with an excellent interference visibility of 96.5%±2%.Such a quantum source at the telecommunication band paves the way for high-dimensional entanglement and future integrated quantum information systems.