Single mode whispering-gallery-mode resonator

• US 7,440,651 B1
• Filed: 11/17/2005
• Issued: 10/21/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/17/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: California Institute of Technology
• Original Assignee: California Institute of Technology
• Inventors: Matsko, Andrey B., Ilchenko, Vladimir, Savchenkov, Anatoliy, Maleki, Lutfollah, Strekalov, Dmitry V.
• Primary Examiner(s): CONNELLY, MICHELLE R
• Application Number:
  US11/282,160
• Time in Patent Office: 1,069 Days
• Field of Search: 385/32
• US Class Current: 385/28
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/29341 Loop resonators operating in a whispering gallery mode evanescently coupled to a light guide, e.g. sphere or disk or cylinder evanescent coupling for sensing fluorescence G01N21/648
• CPC Class Codes: H01P 7/10 Dielectric resonators

Abstract

Whispering-gallery-mode (WGM) resonators configured to support only a single whispering gallery mode.

Claims

1. A device, comprising:

a cylindrical rod of an optical material comprising a protruded belt region symmetric around a longitudinal axis of the cylindrical rod to form an optical resonator, wherein a height of the protruded belt region along the longitudinal axis is set to be sufficiently small so that the protruded belt region supports a single whispering gallery mode circulating around the protruded belt region, wherein the height and width of the protruded belt region are larger than one wavelength of light in the single whispering gallery mode.

2. The device as in claim 1, wherein the belt region has an exterior surface which is spherical.

3. The device as in claim 1, wherein the belt region has a non-spherical exterior surface which is part of a torus.

4. The device as in claim 1, wherein the cylindrical rod is made of lithium niobate and has a diameter of 8000 microns, and wherein the protruded belt region has a height of 5 microns and protrudes 9 microns from a cylindrical side surface of the cylindrical rod to support a single whispering gallery mode at an optical wavelength of 1550 nm.

5. The device as in claim 1, wherein the cylindrical rod is made of a fused silica material.

6. The device as in claim 1, wherein the cylindrical rod is made of a calcium fluoride material.

7. The device as in claim 1, wherein the cylindrical rod is made of a glass material.

8. The device as in claim 1, wherein the cylindrical rod is made of a lithium niobate material.

9. The device as in claim 1, wherein the height of the protruded belt region along the longitudinal axis is set to be greater than a first height threshold below which the protruded belt region does not support any whispering gallery mode, and less than a second height threshold above which the protruded belt region supports at least two whispering gallery modes.

10. The device as in claim 1, further comprising an optical coupler positioned relative to the protruded belt region to evanescently couple light.

11. A device, comprising:

a whispering-gallery-mode resonator shaped symmetrically around a symmetry axis and having an equator in a circular cross section of the resonator that is perpendicular to the symmetry axis,

wherein the resonator is shaped to comprise a protruded belt region at the equator and a height of the protruded belt region along the symmetry axis is set between a first height threshold and a second height threshold to support energy in a single whispering gallery mode and wherein the height and width of the protruded belt region are larger than one wavelength of light in the single whispering gallery mode, and

wherein the protruded belt region does not support any whispering gallery mode when the height of the protruded belt region is less than the first height threshold, and the protruded belt region supports at least two whispering gallery modes when the height of the protruded belt region is greater than a second height threshold.

12. The device as in claim 11, wherein the resonator is made of an optical dielectric material.

13. The device as in claim 11, wherein the resonator is made of a calcium fluoride material.

14. The device as in claim 11, wherein the resonator is made of a lithium niobate material.

15. The device as in claim 11, wherein the resonator is made of a glass material.

16. The device as in claim 11, wherein the resonator is made of a fused silica material.

17. The device as in claim 11, wherein the belt region has an exterior surface which is spherical.

18. The device as in claim 11, wherein the belt region has a non-spherical exterior surface.

19. The device as in claim 11, wherein the belt region has an exterior surface that is part of a spheroid.

20. The device as in claim 11, further comprising an optical coupler to couple an electromagnetic wave signal into the single whispering gallery mode in the protruded belt region.

21. The device as in claim 11, wherein the energy is an optical signal.

22. The device as in claim 11, wherein the energy is a microwave signal.