Cross modulation-based opto-electronic oscillator with tunable electro-optic optical whispering gallery mode resonator
First Claim
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1. A photonic device, comprising:
- a laser that is tunable and produces a laser beam at a laser frequency;
an optical resonator exhibiting an electro-optic effect and structured to support whispering gallery modes circulating in the optical resonator in two mutually orthogonal polarizations and being optically coupled to the laser to receive a portion of the laser beam into the optical resonator;
a laser locking mechanism to lock the laser frequency with respect to a whispering gallery mode resonance of the optical resonator;
an evanescent optical coupler that evanescently couples the laser beam into the optical resonator and evanescently couples the light inside the optical resonator out of the optical resonator to produce resonator output light;
electrodes formed on the optical resonator to apply a modulation control signal to effectuate an optical modulation of light based on the electro-optic effect;
an optical detector to receive a portion of light from the laser that does not enter the optical resonator and at least a portion of the resonator output light;
a polarization control mechanism to control polarizations of the portion of light from the laser that does not enter the optical resonator and the portion of the resonator output light to allow light in the two mutually orthogonal polarizations to interfere at the optical detector to produce a single modulation sideband corresponding to one of the two mutually orthogonal polarizations; and
a feedback circuit coupled between the optical detector and the electrodes to receive a detector output from the optical detector and to produce the modulation control signal at a tunable modulation frequency.
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Abstract
Examples and implementations of photonic devices and techniques based on whispering gallery mode resonators formed of electro-optic materials to effectuate cross modulation between whispering gallery modes of different polarizations in the resonators.
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Citations
15 Claims
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1. A photonic device, comprising:
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a laser that is tunable and produces a laser beam at a laser frequency; an optical resonator exhibiting an electro-optic effect and structured to support whispering gallery modes circulating in the optical resonator in two mutually orthogonal polarizations and being optically coupled to the laser to receive a portion of the laser beam into the optical resonator; a laser locking mechanism to lock the laser frequency with respect to a whispering gallery mode resonance of the optical resonator; an evanescent optical coupler that evanescently couples the laser beam into the optical resonator and evanescently couples the light inside the optical resonator out of the optical resonator to produce resonator output light; electrodes formed on the optical resonator to apply a modulation control signal to effectuate an optical modulation of light based on the electro-optic effect; an optical detector to receive a portion of light from the laser that does not enter the optical resonator and at least a portion of the resonator output light; a polarization control mechanism to control polarizations of the portion of light from the laser that does not enter the optical resonator and the portion of the resonator output light to allow light in the two mutually orthogonal polarizations to interfere at the optical detector to produce a single modulation sideband corresponding to one of the two mutually orthogonal polarizations; and a feedback circuit coupled between the optical detector and the electrodes to receive a detector output from the optical detector and to produce the modulation control signal at a tunable modulation frequency. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A photonic device, comprising:
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a laser that is tunable and produces a laser beam at a laser frequency; an electrically controllable optical modulator to receive the laser beam and to modulate the laser beam to produce a modulated laser beam, the optical modulator comprising an optical resonator exhibiting an electro-optic effect and structured to support whispering gallery modes circulating in the optical resonator in two mutually orthogonal polarizations and being optically coupled to the laser to receive a portion of the laser beam into the optical resonator, and electrodes formed on the optical resonator to apply a modulation control signal to effectuate an optical modulation of light based on the electro-optic effect; an active opto-electronic feedback loop that comprises an optical part coupled to the optical resonator to receive the modulated laser beam and an electrical part that produces the modulation control signal, and an optical detector coupled between the optical part and the electrical part, the opto-electronic feedback loop feeding the modulation control signal in phase to the electrodes on the optical resonator to generate and sustain both optical modulation and electrical oscillation at the modulation frequency of the modulator; and a polarization control mechanism to control polarization of light received at the optical detector to allow light in the two mutually orthogonal polarizations to interfere at the optical detector to produce a single modulation sideband so that a modulation frequency of the modulator at a difference between frequencies of whispering gallery modes at the two mutually orthogonal polarizations inside the optical resonator. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A method for operating an electro-opto oscillator having an electrically controllable optical modulator comprising an optical resonator exhibiting an electro-optic effect and structured to support whispering gallery modes circulating in the optical resonator in two mutually orthogonal polarizations, comprising:
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providing an active opto-electronic feedback loop that comprises an optical part coupled to the optical resonator to receive a modulated laser beam from the optical modulator and an electrical part that produces the modulation control signal, and an optical detector coupled between the optical part and the electrical part; operating the opto-electronic feedback loop to feed the modulation control signal in phase to electrodes on the optical resonator to generate and sustain both optical modulation and electrical oscillation at a modulation frequency of the modulator; and controlling polarization of light received at the optical detector to obtain a single modulation sideband in the output of the optical detector to set the modulation frequency of the modulator at a difference between frequencies of whispering gallery modes at the two mutually orthogonal polarizations inside the optical resonator.
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Specification