Searcharxiv⌕ Search

arXiv subjects

Juan Diego Mazo-Vásquez

Publications and source records attributed to Juan Diego Mazo-Vásquez.

4 recordsLinked to original sources

Cascaded Brillouin-Kerr microcombs in surface nanoscale axial photonic resonators

Surface nanoscale axial photonic resonators (SNAPRs) provide an axially structured whispering-gallery-mode platform in which nanoscale effective-radius variations produce spatially localized optical resonances. Here, we demonstrate cascaded Brillouin-Kerr microcomb generation in a SNAPR fabricated from 660 micrometer diameter silica fiber. Under continuous-wave pumping, cascaded stimulated Brillouin scattering generates first- and second-order Stokes fields that seed Kerr four-wave mixing within the cavity. The resulting nonlinear spectrum contains two comb families with a common azimuthal spacing of 100.2 GHz and a relative offset of 9.6 GHz, consistent with the Brillouin shift in silica. A low-power transmission spectrogram provides a spatially resolved modal analysis of the resonator, revealing localized resonances with loaded quality factors on the order of ten million, and optical resonance pairs compatible with the measured Brillouin spacing. These results establish SNAPRs as a platform for studying cascaded stimulated Brillouin scattering, Kerr four-wave mixing, and comb formation in axially structured whispering gallery resonators.

physics.optics↗

From order to chaos in a chip-scale Kerr parametric oscillator

Integrated photonics has enabled a wide class of chip-scale light sources and quantum technologies. Within this field, microresonator-based degenerate optical parametric oscillators (DOPOs) have gained prominence. Above a critical power threshold, these systems undergo spontaneous symmetry breaking to settle into one of two stable, π-phase-shifted states -- a mechanism successfully used for quantum random number generation and photonic Ising machines. Here, we show that DOPOs based on the Kerr nonlinearity host a significantly broader range of nonlinear dynamics than previously explored. Using a silicon nitride microring resonator, we experimentally identify Hopf bifurcations that trigger a transition from stationary operation to self-sustained oscillations at MHz frequencies. By adjusting pump detunings and powers, we achieve turnkey control over these oscillatory regimes, navigating the system between stable binary states and periodic limit cycles. Furthermore, we report the experimental observation of period-doubling bifurcations, which numerical simulations reveal as the precursor to a cascading instability culminating in chaos at elevated pump powers. Our results establish a framework for controlling nonlinear instabilities in chip-scale parametric oscillators, with applications in programmable photonic hardware and dynamical optical computing.

physics.optics↗

Studying thermal radiation with T-matrices

We introduce a basic formalism for computing thermal radiation by combining Waterman's T-matrix method with an algebraic approach to light-matter interactions. The formalism applies to nano-particles, clusters thereof, and also molecules. In exemplary applications, we explore how a chiral structure can induce an imbalance in the circular polarization of thermal radiation. While the imbalance is rather small for a chiral molecule such as R-BINOL, a much larger imbalance is observed for an optimized silver helix of approximately 200 nm in size. Besides the directional Kirchhoff law used in this article, the formalism is suitable for implementing more nuanced theories, and it provides a straightforward path to the computation of thermal radiation spectra of astronomical objects moving at relativistic speeds with respect to the measurement devices.

physics.optics↗

Computing the interaction of light pulses with objects moving at relativistic speeds

The interaction of light with short light pulses is relevant in optical traps, optical tweezers, and many other applications. The theoretical description of such polychromatic light-matter interaction is challenging, and more so when the object is moving with respect to the light source, albeit with constant speed. Light sails are futuristic examples where such speed should reach the relativistic regime. In here, we provide a methodology for the theoretical and numerical analysis of the interaction of light pulses with objects moving with constant speed. The methodology allows one, in particular, to readily compute the transfer of fundamental quantities such as energy and momentum from the light pulse to the object. As an example, we compute the transfer of energy and momentum between a given pulse and a silicon sphere moving at relativistic speeds. The methodology, however, is valid for generic pulses and objects. Particularizing the equations to the case of zero speed allows one to treat static or quasi-static objects. The method is based on the polychromatic T-matrix formalism, which leverages the many publicly available resources for computing T-matrices.

physics.optics↗