Planar integrated wavelength-drop device based on pedestal antiresonant reflecting waveguides and high-Q silica microspheres

Whispering-gallery modes in silica microspheres can be accessed very efficiently with the recently introduced stripline pedestal antiresonant reflecting optical waveguide (SPARROW) structure. This integrated-optics coupling technique creates novel application opportunities for the high-Q spherical cavities. We report the demonstration of a narrow-band wavelength-drop configuration utilizing SPARROW waveguides and a silica microsphere.     

Triple optomechanical induced transparency in a two-cavity system

We theoretically investigate the optomechanical induced transparency(OMIT) phenomenon in a two-cavity system which is composed of two optomechanical cavities. Both of the cavities consist of a fixed mirror and a high-Q mechanical resonator, and they couple to each other via a common waveguide. We show that in the presence of a strong pump field applied to one cavity and a weak probe field applied to the other, a triple-OMIT can be observed in the output field at the probe frequency. The two mechanical resonators in the two cavities are identical, but they lead to different quantum interference pathways. The transparency windows are induced by the coupling of the two cavities and the optical pressure radiated to the mechanical resonators, which can be controlled via the power of the pump field and the coupling strength of the two cavities.     

Designing coupled microcavity lasers for high-Q modes with unidirectional light emission

We design coupled optical microcavities and report directional light emission from high-Q modes for a broad range of refractive indices. The system consists of a circular cavity that provides a high-Q mode in the form of a whispering gallery mode, whereas an adjacent deformed microcavity plays the role of a waveguide or collimator of the light transmitted from the circular cavity. As a result of this very simple, yet robust, concept we obtain high-Q modes with promising directional emission characteristics. No information about phase space is required, and the proposed scheme can be easily realized in experiments.     

Polarization-independent grating couplers for silicon-on-insulator nanophotonic waveguides

We propose the use of subwavelength structures in a waveguide grating to achieve polarization-independent coupling of light between an optical fiber and a silicon-on-insulator (SOI) optical waveguide. The subwavelength structure allows the mode effective indices of the TE and TM modes in the grating section to be precisely engineered. We calculate that coupling efficiency of over 64% is possible using the proposed design for polarization-independent coupling between single-mode optical fibers and SOI nanophotonic waveguides.     

Optimization design of optical waveguide control by nanoslit-enhanced THz field

We discuss design issues of devices which were proposed recently [Opt. Lett. 37 (2012) 3903] for terahertz (THz) control of the propagation of an optical waveguide mode. The mode propagates through a nonlinear dielectric material placed in a metallic nanoslit illuminated by THz radiation. The THz field in the slit is strongly localized and thus significantly enhanced, facilitating nonlinear interactions with the dielectric waveguide material. This enhancement can lead to notable changes in the refractive index of the waveguide. The closer the waveguide is to the slit walls, the higher the nonlinear effects are, but with the cost of increasing propagation losses due to parasitic coupling to surface plasmon polaritons at the metal interfaces. We analyze several optical waveguide configurations and define a figure of merit that allows us to design the optimal configuration. We find that designs with less overlap of the THz and optical fields but also with lower losses are better than designs where both these parameters are higher. The estimated terahertz field incident onto the metallic nanoslit required to manipulate the waveguide mode has reasonable values which can be achieved in practice.     

Ideality in a fiber-taper-coupled microresonator system for application to cavity quantum electrodynamics

The ability to achieve near lossless coupling between a waveguide and a resonator is fundamental to many quantum-optical studies as well as to practical applications of such structures. The nature of loss at the junction is described by a figure of merit called ideality. It is shown here that under appropriate conditions ideality in excess of 99.97% is possible using fiber-taper coupling to high-Q silica microspheres. To verify this level of coupling, a technique is introduced that can both measure ideality over a range of coupling strengths and provide a practical diagnostic of parasitic coupling within the fiber-taper-waveguide junction.     

Spot-size conversion effect on integrated photonic devices

Using numerically simulated results, we show that an efficient laser-to-optical fibre coupling is possible by incorporating a uniform spot size converter (SSC) based on diluted waveguides with low contrast index waveguide. We propose photonic devices and circuits composed of a laser coupled through a SSC to a one and more microdisks, which are coupled to an optical fibre. Using the finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) method, we simulate the propagation characteristics of light in the fundamental elements as the pulse propagates down the whole structure. Also by the use of the FDTD method, we model and predict the geometrical parameters used for the design of the different types of the proposed devices. It is shown that the coupling efficiency is less than 10% without the diluted waveguide, but the SSC couplers have over 73% power transmission. The gap width between the microdisks, coupling between the laser and the sequence of microdisks is investigated. We report the microdisk effect on the coupling efficiency between the laser-SSC structure and the optical fibre.     

Real-space observation of spectral degeneracy breaking in a waveguide-coupled disk microresonator

We report on the real-space observation of resonant frequency splitting in a high-Q waveguide-coupled silicon-on-insulator microdisk resonator. Phase sensitive near-field analysis reveals the stationary nature of the two resonant states, and spectral investigations clearly show their orthogonality. These measurements emphasize the role of the coupling waveguide in this splitting phenomenon. The symmetry of the two stationary whispering gallery modes is clearly observed and is found to follow the axial symmetry of the waveguide-coupled microdisk as it has been reported by earlier theoretical predictions.     

Simulation of micro/nanometer-scale self-organized lightwave network (SOLNET) using the finite difference time domain method

A simulator for self-organized lightwave network (SOLNET) is developed. The simulator is based on the finite difference time domain method. SOLNET enables us to construct self-aligned coupling waveguides between misaligned micro/nanometer-scale optical devices by self-focusing, which arises from an increase in refractive index induced by write beams in photo-refractive materials. The SOLNET simulator reveals that an L-shaped nanometer-scale optical waveguide of SOLNET is grown from a 0.5-μm-wide optical waveguide when write beams are introduced from the optical waveguide into photo-refractive materials, where a wavelength filter is embedded. The SOLNET simulator also reproduces coupling path construction between a 2-μm-wide optical waveguide and a 0.5-μm-wide optical waveguide having a wavelength filter on the core edge. The optical waveguides are placed with misalignment of 0.5-μm offset. By introducing write beams from the 2-μm-wide optical waveguide, the incident write beams and reflected write beams from the wavelength filter merge into one optical waveguide in the photo-refractive materials, constructing a self-aligned coupling waveguide.     

Subwavelength confinement in an integrated metal slot waveguide on silicon

We demonstrate propagation losses of less than 0.8 dB/microm in a metal slot waveguide on silicon with a predicted confinement substantially below the optical wavelength (approximately 1.55 microm). We also show compact and efficient coupling of the high-confinement metal slot waveguide with a standard silicon dielectric waveguide with a coupling efficiency of approximately 2.5 dB per facet.