Method and system for pumping of an optical resonator

• US 9,698,558 B2
• Filed: 06/15/2016
• Issued: 07/04/2017
• 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: Tegreene, Clarence T., Wood, Jr., Lowell L., Duncan, William D., McWilliams, Bruce M., Pendry, John B., Roberts, Daniel A., Hyde, Roderick A., Schurig, David, Bowers, Jeffrey A., Kare, Jordin T., Kundtz, Nathan, Liu, Ruopeng, Smith, David R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Park, Kinam
• Application Number:
  US15/183,017
• Publication Number:
  US 20160301181A1
• Time in Patent Office: 384 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 out-of-visible band light using a light source;

projecting the out-of-visible light at the optical resonator;

propagating the light through the 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 light is allowed to propagate through only the photonic crystal.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the material includes a different material than the photonic crystal, wherein the different material includes one of a metal, a dielectric, or a gas.

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

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

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the process is based on coherent multi-photon absorption.

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 out-of-visible band light using a light source;

instructions to control pumping of the out-of-visible band light at the optical resonator;

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

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

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

instructions to propagate 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 light is allowed to propagate through only the photonic crystal.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the light is allowed to propagate through only the material.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the light is allowed to propagate through both the photonic crystal and the material.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein propagation in the optical resonator includes a frequency bandgap, wherein the propagation frequency of the surface state is within the bandgap.

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

a controllable pumping light source configured to;

generate out-of-visible band light; and

project the out-of-band visible 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 out-of-visible band light by the pumping light source;

control the direction of the out-of-visible band light by the pumping 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 out-of-visible band light proximate the interface, wherein the changed frequency corresponds to a propagation frequency of the surface state.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the optical resonator is a spectrally limited optical resonator, wherein the spectrally limited optical resonator is limited in chromatic index.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the light is allowed to propagate through only the photonic crystal.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein the material includes a different material than the photonic crystal, wherein the different material includes one of a metal, a dielectric, or a gas.

18. The system of claim 14, wherein changing the frequency is based on a coherent and nonlinear process.

19. The system of claim 14, wherein changing the propagating frequency is based on a non-coherent process.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the process is based on coherent multi-photon absorption.