METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR PUMPING OF AN OPTICAL RESONATOR

• US 20170302049A1
• Filed: 06/30/2017
• Published: 10/19/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/12/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Elwha LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Elwha LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Bowers, Jeffrey A., Duncan, William D., Hyde, Roderick A., Kare, Jordin T., Kundtz, Nathan, Liu, Ruopeng, McWilliams, Bruce M., Pendry, John B., Roberts, Daniel A., Schurig, David, Smith, David R., Tegreene, Clarence T., Wood,, JR., Lowell L.
• Granted Patent: US 10,199,793 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 2202/32 Photonic crystals
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 3/0092 Nonlinear frequency conversion, e.g. second harmonic generation [SHG] or sum- or difference-frequency generation outside the laser cavity nonlinear frequency conversion per se G02F1/35
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 3/0604 in the form of a plate or disc
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 3/0912 Electronics or drivers for the pump source, i.e. details of drivers or circuitry specific for laser pumping laser diode drivers H01S5/042
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 3/108 using non-linear optical devices, e.g. exhibiting Brillouin or Raman scattering mode locking using a non-linear element H01S3/1112
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/0604 comprising a non-linear region, e.g. generating harmonics of the laser frequency
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/10 Construction or shape of the optical resonator , e.g. extended or external cavity, coupled cavities, bent-guide, varying width, thickness or composition of the active region H01S5/20 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/1021 Coupled cavities H01S5/14 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/11 Comprising a photonic bandgap structure
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/4031 Edge-emitting structures

Abstract

A method of pumping an optical resonator includes directing light generated by a pumping light at the optical resonator, exciting a propagating surface state of the optical resonator at an interface of the optical resonator, and changing a propagating frequency of the light proximate the interface, where the changed frequency corresponds to a propagation frequency of the surface state. The optical resonator includes a photonic crystal and a material, where the interface is formed between the photonic crystal and the material.

Claims

1. A method for pumping an optical resonator, comprising:

generating light using a light source;

projecting the light at the optical resonator;

propagating the light through a photonic crystal such that the light reaches an interface of the optical resonator;

changing a frequency of the light near the interface;

exciting a surface state of the optical resonator at the interface; and

propagating the surface state at the interface.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the optical resonator is a spectrally limited optical resonator, wherein the spectrally limited optical resonator is limited in chromatic index.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the photonic crystal is one-dimensional, two-dimensional, or three-dimensional.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the interface is between the photonic crystal and a metal, a dielectric, another photonic crystal, a gas, air, or vacuum.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the surface state includes substantially exponentially functions with a field maximum at the interface.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the surface state propagates along the interface after the frequency of the light is changed.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the optical resonator includes alternating layers having substantially equal thickness, wherein the photonic crystal includes at least one layer of the alternating layers.

8. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon, the instructions forming a program executable by a processing circuit to control pumping an optical resonator, the instructions comprising:

instructions to control generation of light using a light source;

instructions to control projection of the light at the optical resonator;

instructions to excite propagation of the light through a photonic crystal such that the light reaches an interface of the optical resonator;

instructions to monitor a change of a frequency of the light near the interface;

instructions to monitor excitation of a surface state of the optical resonator at the interface; and

instructions to monitor propagation of the surface state at the interface.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the optical resonator is a spectrally limited optical resonator, wherein the spectrally limited optical resonator is limited in chromatic index.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the photonic crystal is one-dimensional, two-dimensional, or three-dimensional.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the interface is between the photonic crystal and a metal, a dielectric, another photonic crystal, a gas, air, or vacuum.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the surface state includes substantially exponentially functions with a field maximum at the interface.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the surface state propagates along the interface after the frequency of the light is changed.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the optical resonator includes alternating layers having substantially equal thickness, wherein the photonic crystal includes at least one layer of the alternating layers.

15. A system for pumping an optical resonator, comprising:

a controllable pumping light source configured to;

generate light;

project the light at the optical resonator, wherein the optical resonator comprises;

a photonic crystal; and

a material, wherein an interface is formed between the photonic crystal and the material; and

a processing circuit configured to;

control the generation of the light by the pumping light source;

control the direction of the light by the pumping light source;

monitor excitation of a propagating surface state of the optical resonator at the interface of the optical resonator; and

monitor a change in a propagating frequency of the light at the interface.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the optical resonator is a spectrally limited optical resonator, wherein the spectrally limited optical resonator is limited in chromatic index.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the photonic crystal is one-dimensional, two-dimensional, or three-dimensional.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the material includes a metal, a dielectric, another photonic crystal, a gas, air, or vacuum.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein the surface state includes substantially exponentially functions with a field maximum at the interface.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein the surface state propagates along the interface after the frequency of the light is changed.