arXiv subjects

Kerry J. Vahala

Publications and source records attributed to Kerry J. Vahala.

31 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

arXiv2017

Micro-resonator soliton generated directly with a diode laser

An external-cavity diode laser is reported with ultralow noise, high power coupled to a fiber, and fast tunability. These characteristics enable the generation of an optical frequency comb in a silica micro-resonator with a single-soliton state. Neither an optical modulator nor an amplifier was used in the experiment. This demonstration greatly simplifies the soliton generation setup and represents a significant step forward to a fully integrated soliton comb system.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2015

Phase Coherent Link of an Atomic Clock to a Self-Referenced Microresonator Frequency Comb

The counting and control of optical cycles of light has become common with modelocked laser frequency combs. But even with advances in laser technology, modelocked laser combs remain bulk-component devices that are hand-assembled. In contrast, a frequency comb based on the Kerr-nonlinearity in a dielectric microresonator will enable frequency comb functionality in a micro-fabricated and chip-integrated package suitable for use in a wide-range of environments. Such an advance will significantly impact fields ranging from spectroscopy and trace gas sensing, to astronomy, communications, atomic time keeping and photonic data processing. Yet in spite of the remarkable progress shown over the past years, microresonator frequency combs ("microcombs") have still been without the key function of direct f-2f self-referencing and phase-coherent frequency control that will be critical for enabling their full potential. Here we realize these missing elements using a low-noise 16.4 GHz silicon chip microcomb that is coherently broadened from its initial 1550 nm wavelength and subsequently f-2f self-referenced and phase-stabilized to an atomic clock. With this advance, we not only realize the highest repetition rate octave-span frequency comb ever achieved, but we highlight the low-noise microcomb properties that support highest atomic clock limited frequency stability.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2015

Broadband dispersion engineered microresonator on-a-chip

Control of dispersion in fibre optical waveguides is of critical importance to optical fibre communications systems and more recently for continuum generation from the ultraviolet to the mid-infrared. The wavelength at which the group velocity dispersion crosses zero can be set by varying fibre core diameter or index step. Moreover, sophisticated methods to manipulate higher-order dispersion so as shape and even flatten dispersion over wide bandwidths are possible using multi-cladding fibre. Here we introduce design and fabrication techniques that allow analogous dispersion control in chip-integrated optical microresonators, and thereby demonstrate higher-order, wide-bandwidth dispersion control over an octave of spectrum. Importantly, the fabrication method we employ for dispersion control simultaneously permits optical Q factors above 100 million, which is critical for efficient operation of nonlinear optical oscillators. Dispersion control in high Q systems has taken on greater importance in recent years with increased interest in chip-integrable optical frequency combs.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2013

A microresonator frequency comb optical clock

Optical-frequency combs enable measurement precision at the 20th digit, and accuracy entirely commensurate with their reference oscillator. A new direction in experiments is the creation of ultracompact frequency combs by way of nonlinear parametric optics in microresonators. We refer to these as microcombs, and here we report a silicon-chip-based microcomb optical clock that phase-coherently converts an optical-frequency reference to a microwave signal. A low-noise comb spectrum with 25 THz span is generated with a 2 mm diameter silica disk and broadening in nonlinear fiber. This spectrum is stabilized to rubidium frequency references separated by 3.5 THz by controlling two teeth 108 modes apart. The optical clocks output is the electronically countable 33 GHz microcomb line spacing, which features an absolute stability better than the rubidium transitions by the expected factor of 108. Our work demonstrates the comprehensive set of tools needed for interfacing microcombs to state-of-the-art optical clocks.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2012

Low-Pump-Power, Low-Phase-Noise, and Microwave to Millimeter-wave Repetition Rate Operation in Microcombs

Microresonator-based frequency combs (microcombs or Kerr-combs) can potentially miniaturize the numerous applications of conventional frequency combs. A priority is the realization of broad-band (ideally octave spanning) spectra at detectable repetition rates for comb self referencing. However, access to these rates involves pumping larger mode volumes and hence higher threshold powers. Moreover, threshold power sets both the scale for power per comb tooth and also the optical pump. Along these lines, it is shown that a class of resonators having surface-loss-limited Q factors can operate over a wide range of repetition rates with minimal variation in threshold power. A new, surface-loss-limited resonator illustrates the idea. Comb generation on mode spacings ranging from 2.6 GHz to 220 GHz with overall low threshold power (as low as 1 mW) is demonstrated. A record number of comb lines for a microcomb (around 1900) is also observed with pump power of 200 mW. The ability to engineer a wide range of repetition rates with these devices is also used to investigate a recently observed mechanism in microcombs associated with dispersion of subcomb offset frequencies. We observe high-coherence, phase-locking in cases where these offset frequencies are small enough so as to be tuned into coincidence. In these cases, a record-low microcomb phase noise is reported at a level comparable to an open-loop, high-performance microwave oscillator.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2011

Ultra-high-Q wedge-resonator on a silicon chip

Ultra-high-Q optical resonators are being studied across a wide range of research subjects including quantum information, nonlinear optics, cavity optomechanics, and telecommunications. Here, we demonstrate a new, resonator on-a-chip with a record Q factor of 875 million, surpassing even microtoroids. Significantly, these devices avoid a highly specialized processing step that has made it difficult to integrate microtoroids with other photonic devices and to also precisely control their size. Thus, these devices not only set a new benchmark for Q factor on a chip, but also provide, for the first time, full compatibility of this important device class with conventional semiconductor processing. This feature will greatly expand the possible kinds of system on a chip functions enabled by ultra-high-Q devices.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2009

Coherent mixing of mechanical excitations in nano-optomechanical structures

The combination of large per-photon optical force and small motional mass attainable in nanocavity optomechanical systems results in strong dynamical back-action between mechanical motion and the cavity light field. In this work we study the optical control of mechanical motion within two different nanocavity structures, a zipper nanobeam photonic crystal cavity and a double-microdisk whispering-gallery resonator. The strong optical gradient force within these cavities is shown to introduce signifcant optical rigidity into the structure, with the dressed mechanical states renormalized into optically-bright and optically-dark modes of motion. With the addition of internal mechanical coupling between mechanical modes, a form of optically-controlled mechanical transparency is demonstrated in analogy to electromagnetically induced transparency of three-level atomic media. Based upon these measurements, a proposal for coherently transferring RF/microwave signals between the optical field and a long-lived dark mechanical state is described.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2009

Modeling Dispersive Coupling and Losses of Localized Optical and Mechanical Modes in Optomechanical Crystals

Periodically structured materials can sustain both optical and mechanical excitations which are tailored by the geometry. Here we analyze the properties of dispersively coupled planar photonic and phononic crystals: optomechanical crystals. In particular, the properties of co-resonant optical and mechanical cavities in quasi-1D (patterned nanobeam) and quasi-2D (patterned membrane) geometries are studied. It is shown that the mechanical Q and optomechanical coupling in these structures can vary by many orders of magnitude with modest changes in geometry. An intuitive picture is developed based upon a perturbation theory for shifting material boundaries that allows the optomechanical properties to be designed and optimized. Several designs are presented with mechanical frequency ~ 1-10 GHz, optical Q-factor Qo > 10^7, motional masses meff 100 femtograms, optomechanical coupling length LOM < 5 microns, and a radiation-limited mechanical Q-factor Qm > 10^7.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2009

Phonon laser action in a tunable, two-level photonic molecule

The phonon analog of an optical laser has long been a subject of interest. We demonstrate a compound microcavity system, coupled to a radio-frequency mechanical mode, that operates in close analogy to a two-level laser system. An inversion produces gain, causing phonon laser action above a pump power threshold of around 50 $μ$W. The device features a continuously tunable, gain spectrum to selectively amplify mechanical modes from radio frequency to microwave rates. Viewed as a Brillouin process, the system accesses a regime in which the phonon plays what has traditionally been the role of the Stokes wave. For this reason, it should also be possible to controllably switch between phonon and photon laser regimes. Cooling of the mechanical mode is also possible.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2009

Optomechanical Crystals

Structured, periodic optical materials can be used to form photonic crystals capable of dispersing, routing, and trapping light. A similar phenomena in periodic elastic structures can be used to manipulate mechanical vibrations. Here we present the design and experimental realization of strongly coupled optical and mechanical modes in a planar, periodic nanostructure on a silicon chip. 200-Terahertz photons are co-localized with mechanical modes of Gigahertz frequency and 100-femtogram mass. The effective coupling length, which describes the strength of the photon-phonon interaction, is as small as 2.9 microns, which, together with minute oscillator mass, allows all-optical actuation and transduction of nanomechanical motion with near quantum-limited sensitivity. Optomechanical crystals have many potential applications, from RF-over-optical communication to the study of quantum effects in mesoscopic mechanical systems.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2009

Static and dynamic wavelength routing via the gradient optical force

Here we propose and demonstrate an all-optical wavelength-routing approach which uses a tuning mechanism based upon the optical gradient force in a specially-designed nano-optomechanical system. The resulting mechanically-compliant "spiderweb" resonantor realizes seamless wavelength routing over a range of 3000 times the intrinsic channel width, with a tuning efficiency of 309-GHz/mW, a switching time of less than 200-ns, and 100% channel-quality preservation over the entire tuning range. These results indicate the potential for radiation pressure actuated devices to be used in a variety of photonics applications, such as channel routing/switching, buffering, dispersion compensation, pulse trapping/release, and widely tunable lasers.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2009

Mechanical oscillation and cooling actuated by the optical gradient force

In this work we combine the large per-photon optical gradient force with the sensitive feedback of a high quality factor whispering-gallery microcavity. The cavity geometry, consisting of a pair of silica disks separated by a nanoscale gap, shows extremely strong dynamical backaction, powerful enough to excite giant coherent oscillations even under heavily damped conditions (mechanical Q=4). In vacuum, the threshold for regenerative mechanical oscillation is lowered to an optical input power of only 270-nanoWatts, or roughly 1000 stored cavity photons, and efficient cooling of the mechanical motion is obtained with a temperature compression factor of 13-dB for 4-microWatts of dropped optical input power.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2004

Theoretical and experimental study of stimulated and cascaded Raman scattering in ultra-high-Q optical microcavities

Stimulated Raman scattering (SRS) in ultra-high-Q surface-tension-induced spherical and chip-based toroid microcavities is considered both theoretically and experimentally. These microcavities are fabricated from silica, exhibit small mode volume (typically 1000 $μm^{3}$) and possess whispering-gallery type modes with long photon storage times (in the range of 100 ns), significantly reducing the threshold for stimulated nonlinear optical phenomena. Oscillation threshold levels of less than 100 $μ$% -Watts of launched fiber pump power, in microcavities with quality factors of 100 million are observed. Using a steady state analysis of the coupled-mode equations for the pump and Raman whispering-gallery modes, the threshold, efficiencies and cascading properties of SRS in UHQ devices are derived. The results are experimentally confirmed in the telecommunication band (1550nm) using tapered optical fibers as highly efficient waveguide coupling elements for both pumping and signal extraction. The device performance dependence on coupling, quality factor and modal volume are measured and found to be in good agreement with theory. This includes analysis of the threshold and efficiency for cascaded Raman scattering. The side-by-side study of nonlinear oscillation in both spherical microcavities and toroid microcavities on-a-chip also allows for comparison of their properties. In addition to the benefits of a wafer-scale geometry, including integration with optical, electrical or mechanical functionality, microtoroids on-a-chip exhibit single mode Raman oscillation over a wide range of pump powers.

physics.optics↗