Method and system for pumping of an optical resonator

• US 9,048,621 B2
• Filed: 07/12/2013
• Issued: 06/02/2015
• 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:
  US13/941,341
• Publication Number:
  US 20150016483A1
• Time in Patent Office: 690 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 of pumping an optical resonator, comprising:

generating light by a pumping light source;

directing 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

exciting a propagating surface state of the optical resonator at the interface between the photonic crystal and the material; and

changing a propagating frequency of the light proximate the interface between the photonic crystal and the material to a frequency within a frequency bandgap of the surface state of the interface between the photonic crystal and the material, wherein the changed frequency corresponds to a propagation frequency of the surface state.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the propagating frequency is changed at the interface.

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

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

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

6. The method of claim 1, wherein changing the propagating frequency is based on a coherent and nonlinear process.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the process is based on at least one of Raman scattering, harmonic generation, frequency mixing, an electro-optic effect, and coherent multi-photon absorption.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein propagation in the optical resonator includes the frequency bandgap.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the propagation frequency of the surface state is within the bandgap.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the bandgap is a complete bandgap, wherein the complete bandgap extends over all wave vectors.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the bandgap is an incomplete bandgap, wherein the incomplete bandgap extends over partial wave vector ranges.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the propagating surface state has wave vectors within the incomplete bandgap.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising propagating the surface state after changing the propagating frequency of the light proximate the interface.

28. The method of claim 1, wherein the pumping light source is an out-of-band light source with respect to the surface state.

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

30. The method of claim 1, wherein the light is allowed to propagate through only the material.

31. The method of claim 1, wherein changing the propagating frequency is based on a non-coherent process.

32. The method of claim 1, wherein the process is based on at least on of fluorescence and sequential photon upconversion.

14. 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 by a pumping light source;

instructions to control directing the light at the optical resonator, wherein the light is generated by the pumping light source, and wherein the optical resonator comprises;

a photonic crystal; and

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

instructions to monitor excitation of a propagating surface state of the optical resonator at the interface between the photonic crystal and the material; and

instructions to monitor a change in a propagating frequency of the light proximate the interface between the photonic crystal and the material to a frequency within a frequency bandgap of the surface state of the interface between the photonic crystal and the material, wherein the changed frequency corresponds to a propagation frequency of the surface state.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein changing the propagating frequency is based on a coherent and nonlinear process.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14, further comprising instructions to monitor a propagation of the surface state after changing the propagating frequency of the light proximate the interface.

33. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein changing the propagating frequency is based on a non-coherent process.

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

a controllable pumping light source configured to;

generate light; and

direct 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 between the photonic crystal and the material; and

monitor a change in a propagating frequency of the light proximate the interface between the photonic crystal and the material to a frequency within a frequency bandgap of the surface state of the interface between the photonic crystal and the material, wherein the changed frequency corresponds to a propagation frequency of the surface state.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the propagating frequency is changed at the interface.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the propagating frequency is changed within a region corresponding to a modal envelope of the surface state.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein the optical resonator is a spectrally limited optical resonator, and wherein the spectrally limited optical resonator is limited in chromatic index.

21. The system of claim 17, wherein the light comprises a propagating mode of the photonic crystal.

22. The system of claim 17, wherein the material includes a second photonic crystal.

23. The system of claim 17, wherein the material includes a different material than the photonic crystal.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the different material includes at least one of a metal, a dielectric, and a gas.

25. The system of claim 17, wherein changing the propagating frequency is based on a coherent and nonlinear process.

26. The system of claim 17, wherein propagation in the optical resonator includes the frequency bandgap.

27. The system of claim 17, wherein the processing circuit is further configured to monitor a propagation of the surface state after changing the propagating frequency of the light proximate the interface.

34. The system of claim 17, wherein the pumping light source is an out-of-band light source with respect to the surface state.

35. The system of claim 17, wherein the light is allowed to propagate through only the photonic crystal.

36. The system of claim 17, wherein the light is allowed to propagate through only the material.

37. The system of claim 17, wherein changing the propagating frequency is based on a non-coherent process.