Method and system for pumping of an optical resonator

• US 9,385,503 B2
• Filed: 04/10/2015
• Issued: 07/05/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/12/2013
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• 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, Lowell L. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Park, Kinam
• Application Number:
  US14/684,144
• Publication Number:
  US 20150222075A1
• Time in Patent Office: 452 Days
• Field of Search: 372/45.01, 372/92, 372/98, 372/70
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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:

propagating a light having a first frequency through a photonic crystal region of an optical resonator to an interface within the optical resonator, wherein the optical resonator includes the photonic crystal and a material, and wherein the interface is between the photonic crystal and the material;

converting the light from the first frequency to a second frequency at the interface between the photonic crystal and the material, the second frequency within a frequency bandgap of a surface state of the photonic crystal at the interface;

exciting the surface state of the photonic crystal at the interface between the photonic crystal and the material using the second frequency; and

propagating the surface state of the photonic crystal within a limited range within the photonic crystal along the interface using the second frequency.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first frequency is changed within a region corresponding to a modal envelope of the surface state.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the light is allowed to propagate through only the photonic crystal.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the light comprises a propagating mode of the photonic crystal.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the material includes a second photonic crystal.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the second photonic crystal is a one-dimensional crystal.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the second photonic crystal is a two-dimensional crystal.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein the second photonic crystal is a three-dimensional crystal.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the material includes a different material than the photonic crystal, and wherein the different material includes at least one of:

a metal, a dielectric, and a gas.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein converting the first frequency is based on a non-coherent process, and wherein the non-coherent process is based on at least one of fluorescence or sequential photon upconversion.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the bandgap is a complete bandgap, wherein the complete bandgap extends over all wave vectors.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the bandgap is an incomplete bandgap, wherein the incomplete bandgap extends over partial wave vector ranges.

13. 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 propagate a light having a first frequency through a photonic crystal region of an optical resonator to an interface within the optical resonator, wherein the optical resonator includes the photonic crystal and a material, and wherein the interface is between the photonic crystal and the material;

instructions to convert the light from the first frequency to a second frequency at the interface between the photonic crystal and the material, the second frequency within a frequency bandgap of a surface state of the photonic crystal at the interface;

instructions to excite the surface state of the photonic crystal at the interface between the photonic crystal and the material using the second frequency; and

instructions to propagate the surface state of the photonic crystal within a limited range within the photonic crystal along the interface using the second frequency.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the first frequency is changed within a region corresponding to a modal envelope of the surface state.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the light is allowed to propagate through only the photonic crystal.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the light comprises a propagating mode of the photonic crystal.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the material includes a second photonic crystal.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the second photonic crystal is a one-dimensional crystal.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the second photonic crystal is a two-dimensional crystal.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the second photonic crystal is a three-dimensional crystal.

21. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the material includes a different material than the photonic crystal, and wherein the different material includes at least one of:

a metal, a dielectric, and a gas.

22. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein converting the first frequency is based on a non-coherent process, and wherein the non-coherent process is based on at least one of fluorescence or sequential photon upconversion.

23. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the bandgap is a complete bandgap, wherein the complete bandgap extends over all wave vectors.

24. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the bandgap is an incomplete bandgap, wherein the incomplete bandgap extends over partial wave vector ranges.

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

a controllable light source configured to

generate light at a first frequency; and

propagate the light through a photonic crystal region of an optical resonator to an interface within the optical resonator, wherein the optical resonator includes the photonic crystal and a material, and wherein the interface is between the photonic crystal and the material;

a processing circuit configured to;

control the generation of the light by the light source;

monitor conversion of the light from the first frequency to a second frequency at the interface between the photonic crystal and the material, the second frequency within a frequency bandgap of a surface state of the photonic crystal at the interface;

monitor excitation of the surface state of the photonic crystal at the interface between the photonic crystal and the material using the second frequency; and

monitor propagation of the surface state of the photonic crystal within a limited range within the photonic crystal along the interface using the second frequency.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein the first frequency is changed within a region corresponding to a modal envelope of the surface state.

27. The system of claim 25, wherein the light is allowed to propagate through only the photonic crystal.

28. The system of claim 25, wherein the light comprises a propagating mode of the photonic crystal.

29. The system of claim 25, wherein the material includes a second photonic crystal.

30. The system of claim 29, wherein the second photonic crystal is a one-dimensional crystal.

31. The system of claim 29, wherein the second photonic crystal is at least one of a two-dimensional crystal or a three-dimensional crystal.

32. The system of claim 25, wherein the material includes a different material than the photonic crystal, and wherein the different material includes at least one of:

a metal, a dielectric, and a gas.

33. The system of claim 25, wherein converting the first frequency is based on a non-coherent process, and wherein the non-coherent process is based on at least one of fluorescence or sequential photon upconversion.

34. The system of claim 25, wherein the bandgap is a complete bandgap, wherein the complete bandgap extends over all wave vectors.

35. The system of claim 25, wherein the bandgap is an incomplete bandgap, wherein the incomplete bandgap extends over partial wave vector ranges.