Crystalline MgF2 whispering gallery mode resonators for enhanced bulk index sensitivity

We report on experiments on refractrometric sensing with crystalline Whispering Gallery Mode (WGM) resonators made of magnesium fluoride, which has a refractive index that is only slightly larger than that of water (Δn ≈ 0.05). The resulting evanescent field of a WGM resonator placed in an aqueous environment penetrates therefore deep into the surrounding medium, which makes it a promising candidate for sensing applications. We measured a bulk index sensitivity of 1.09 nm/RIU (refractive index unit) in a resonator with a radius of R = 2.91 mm and intrinsic Q-factors of more than 10⁸ in aqueous environments. Furthermore, we describe the fabrication process of crystalline WGM resonators.     

Depth profiling the whispering gallery modes in TiO2:Eu3+ microspheres using cathode luminescence

The depth-resolved luminescence of whispering gallery modes (WGMs) was studied in TiO2:Eu3+ microsphere using cathode luminescence. As the penetration depth of the electron beam into the microsphere was increased through the control of the accelerating voltage, periodic structures appeared superimposed over the intrinsic transition lines of Eu3+, which were attributable to the cavity enhancement effect of the spontaneous emission by WGM resonance. The calculated radial intensity distribution of the WGM and the penetration depth explained the observed dependence of the WGM structure's visibility on the accelerating voltage.     

聚二甲基硅氧烷微流道中光流控荧光共振能量转移激光

将单一折射率的石英裸光纤植入由聚二甲基硅氧烷构成的基片微流道中,以低折射率的罗丹明B(RhB)和吡啶821(LDS821)乙醇溶液构成的供体和受体对作为激光增益介质.采用沿光纤轴向消逝波抽运方式,首先以波长为532nm的连续波激光器作为激励光,对荧光共振能量转移特性参数进行了研究.然后以波长为532nm的脉冲激光器作为抽运光,通过直接激励供体分子RhB,并将其能量转移给临近的受体分子LDS821,在不改变抽运光波长的条件下,实现了较低阈值(1.26μJ/mm~2)的受体LDS821激光辐射.     

Sensor based on an integrated optical microcavity

A novel integrated optical sensor based on a cylindrical microcavity (MC) is proposed. A MC sustains so-called whispering-gallery modes (WGMs), in which the energy of the optical field can be efficiently stored. By monitoring the scattering intensity from the MC, one can detect minute changes in the refractive index of the WGM, for instance, as a result of analyte adsorption. Measurement of a change in refractive index of as little as 10(-4) is demonstrated experimentally. The MC-based integrated optical sensor may have a size of approximately 8mum , and it is rugged and inexpensive.     

Fiber ring laser for intracavity sensing using a whispering-gallery-mode resonator

Whispering-gallery-mode (WGM) microresonators are used as optical transducers for sensing applications. The typical detection scheme is based on tracking the WGM resonance shift, by scanning with a tunable laser, when a change of the refractive index in the region probed by the WGM takes place. We propose a sensing approach based instead on monitoring the position of the laser line of a fiber ring laser having a WGM microsphere in its loop. We have demonstrated that the induced shift is the same for the ring laser line and for the microsphere resonance. The proposed method requires simpler, cheaper equipment and may also improve the sensor resolution because the ring laser line is much narrower than the microsphere WGM resonance.     

混合微球谐振腔热非线性效应的增强方法

提出并实现了一种可增强微球谐振腔热非线性效应的方法。通过在微球谐振腔表面涂覆低折射率紫外胶形成并制备了混合谐振腔。通过分析混合谐振腔结构的热光系数,从理论和实验论证了混合谐振腔结构可获得更大的热非线性效应,同时验证了混合谐振腔的品质因素对热非线性的影响。应用此混合谐振腔结构于温度传感实验,结果表明通过增强方法制备的谐振腔其检测灵敏度提高了2.8倍。因此,此方法在传感应用、生物化学检测、通讯等领域也有广泛的应用前景。     

混合微球谐振腔热非线性效应的增强方法

提出并实现了一种可增强微球谐振腔热非线性效应的方法。通过在微球谐振腔表面涂覆低折射率紫外胶形成并制备了混合谐振腔。通过分析混合谐振腔结构的热光系数,从理论和实验论证了混合谐振腔结构可获得更大的热非线性效应,同时验证了混合谐振腔的品质因素对热非线性的影响。应用此混合谐振腔结构于温度传感实验,结果表明通过增强方法制备的谐振腔其检测灵敏度提高了2.8倍。因此,此方法在传感应用、生物化学检测、通讯等领域也有广泛的应用前景。     

Mode characteristics of silver-coated inverted-wedge silica microdisks

The characteristics of whispering gallery modes(WGM) in silver-coated inverted-wedge silica microdisks are theoretically investigated by using finite element method. Dielectric TE mode always exists in silver-coated inverted-wedge resonators; dielectric TM mode tends to couple with SPP modes; only pure interior surface plasmonic polariton(SPP) mode but not pure exterior SPP mode is observed in contrast to the metal-coated cylindrical and toroidal resonators. The dependence of quality factor of different kinds of WGMs on the radius of the resonator and the thickness of the coated silver layer are systematically analyzed. We find that the quality factors of the hybrid WGMs associated with SPP mode can reach 104. The maximum light intensity enhancement in ambient for a hybrid mode consisting of a dielectric TM mode and an exterior SPP mode can be obtained when a silver film of thickness ~40 nm is deposited. The silver-coated inverted-wedge silica resonators may be widely applied in sensing and surface enhanced Raman scattering.     

Polarization-modified Fano line shape spectrum with a single whispering gallery mode

Using the HE11Xand HE11Ymodes in a tapered fiber(TF)and the whispering gallery mode(WGM)in a microsphere resonator,Fano line-shape spectra were theoretically described and experimentally observed in this study.The line shapes of the spectra can be tuned to form a Lorentz notch,various Fano line shapes,and the Lorentz peak by controlling the polarizations at the input and output ports of the TF.The relative position or the size of the waveguide and WGM resonator do not need to be accurately controlled to produce these effects.The proposed configuration is suitable for mass production and will improve the performance of the devices in which it is applied.     

Tm~(3+)掺杂Ge-Ga-S玻璃微球-石英光纤锥耦合系统的荧光回廊模特性

以熔融淬冷法自制了Tm~(3+)掺杂Ge-Ga-S硫系玻璃,并以此为基质材料,用漂浮粉料熔融法制备了直径分布为50—200μm的高品质因数(Q10~4)的有源硫系玻璃微球谐振腔.在显微镜下优选出一颗表面质量好、球形度较高、直径为72.84μm的微球,与氢氧焰扫描拉锥法制备的一根腰锥直径为1.93μm的石英光纤锥进行近场耦合.根据基质材料的吸收光谱特性,选用808 nm的半导体激光器作为抽运源.实验测得光纤锥倏逝波场激发出了掺Tm~(3+)硫系玻璃微球在1460 nm附近的荧光回廊模式,其典型共振峰间隔为4.39 nm.实验测得的荧光回廊模式与米氏散射理论计算结果符合度较高(最大误差仅为0.047%),验证了本文提出的掺Tm~(3+)硫系微球制备及耦合工艺的可行性.     

Rapid chemical-vapor sensing using optofluidic ring resonators

We develop rapid chemical-vapor sensors based on optofluidic ring resonators (OFRRs). The OFRR is a glass capillary whose circular wall supports the circulating waveguide modes (WGMs). The OFRR inner surface is coated with a vapor-sensitive polymer. The analyte and polymer interaction causes the polymer refractive index to change, which is detected as a WGM spectral shift. Owing to the excellent fluidics, the OFRR exhibits subsecond detection and recovery time with a flow rate of only 1 mL/min, a few orders of magnitude lower than that in the existing optical vapor sensors. The detection limit is estimated to be 5.6 x 10(-6) refractive index units, over ten times better than other ring-resonator vapor sensors. Ethanol and hexane vapors are used as a model system, and chemical differentiation is demonstrated with different polymer coatings.     

Strong electromagnetic field localization near the surface of hemicylindrical particles

We theoretically study the forward and backward plane wave illuminations of hemicylindrical dielectric particles with different radii and refractive indices. Near field effects providing strong field enhancement and narrow beam width are obtained from hemicylindrical particles, which can be associated with whispering gallery modes (WGMs) and photonic nano-jets (PNJs). It should be noted that existence of PNJ and WGM effects depending on forward/backward light illuminations is studied for the first time in all-dielectric hemicylindrical particles. Compared to dielectric cylinders, hemicylindrical aided PNJs show relatively small influences of WGM regime, when exists, to PNJ behavior. Under the backward excitation, on the other hand, typical nano-jet is produced. The designed hemicylindrical structure could be implemented in high-resolution optical imaging and sensing applications.     

Whispering gallery mode transformation in a switched micro-cavity with concentric ring geometry

This article presents an analytical approach to the 2D problem in which a circular whispering-gallery mode (WGM) resonator is subject to an abrupt temporal change in refractive index in a circular coaxial region or in a ring region near the rim.     

Deciphering output coupling mechanisms in spiral microcavities with femtosecond light bullets

A pump-probe two-photon-excited fluorescence technique deciphers in space and time the propagation of ballistic wave packets sustained by whispering-gallery modes (WGMs) in a spiral-shaped microcavity. Diffraction on the spiral discontinuity does not prevent the WGMs from closing. The resultant average Q of the resonator is 3 x 10(4) +/- 50%. Experimental results are compared with numerical simulations, providing evidence of a new contribution to output coupling: Part of the WGM evanescent wave is reflected at the spiral notch and leads to a propagating wave at an angle that matches the previously observed laser emission direction in 4-dicyanomethylene-2-methyl-6-(p-dimethylaminostyryl)-4H-pyran-doped poly(methyl methacrylate) and InGaN spiral lasers.     

Superscattering-enhanced narrow band forward scattering antenna

We present a narrow band forward scattering optical antenna which is based on the excitation of distinctive whispering gallery modes(WGMs). The antenna is composed of three coaxial cylinder layers: a dielectric layer is sandwiched between a metallic core and cladding. Owing to the destructive interference between the scattering of the outer metallic cladding and the WGM in the backward direction, the power flow in the forward direction is increased. Simulation and analysis show that in proper geometry conditions, the cavity can be tuned into a superscattering state. At this state, both the zeroth and the first order of WGM are excited and contribute to the total scattering. It is shown that the power ratio(power towards backward divided by power towards forward) can be enhanced to about 27 times larger than that for a non-resonant position by the superscattering. Owing to the confinement of the cladding to WGMs, the wavelength range of effective forward scattering is considerably narrow(about 15 nm).     

光学微球腔的壳层结构研究

使用时域有限差分法,对带表面壳层的光学微球腔进行模拟计算,分析了微腔内回音壁模式的能量密度分布,总结了壳层厚度对微球腔谐振性能的影响,并由此探讨对微球腔进行调谐和模式控制的方法.采用这种壳层结构,微球腔的谐振性能得到了有效提高（Q值提高了30％以上,模式体积减小了60％）,为光学微球腔后续的结构设计和实际应用提供了一个新的优化思路.     

Optical microresonator based on hollow sphere with porous wall for chemical sensing

A porous-wall hollow glass microsphere (PW-HGM) was investigated as an optical resonator for chemical vapor sensing. A single mode optical fiber taper was used to interrogate the microresonator. Adsorption of chemical molecules into the nanosized pores induced a refractive index change of the thin wall and thus a shift in its resonance spectrum. The PW-HGM resonator had shown higher vapor detection sensitivity in comparison with a solid microsphere under similar test conditions.     

Subfemtomole detection of small molecules with microsphere sensors

We investigated the feasibility of using a silica microsphere sensor for detection of small molecules. Using the silica molecules (60 Da) at the sphere's surface as a model system, we measured the spectral shifts in the whispering-gallery modes (WGMs) when the sphere size was decreased by a hydrofluoric acid (HF) solution. The results demonstrate that our sensor is capable of detecting a 4 pm (or 0.01 layer of silica) decrease in sphere radius, corresponding to a change of 0.4 fmol silica molecule. These results suggest that small molecules can be detected in trace quantities at the surface of an optical microsphere sensor.     

镀高折射率纳米膜的长周期光纤光栅特性研究

针对镀高折射率纳米膜的长周期光栅,建立了传感理论模型,研究了长周期光栅的谐振波长与纳米膜厚度及外界折射率的关系,给出不同纳米膜厚度下长周期光栅不同包层模式重组特性.研究发现,当长周期光栅外面镀上一层沿角向均匀分布的纳米膜时,随着膜厚变化会出现包层模分布的明显调制;适当选择镀膜参数和外界介质折射率,最低次包层模式HE1,2会成为镀膜层中的导模,其他的包层模式将会发生模式转换现象;对于较低次包层模式(如HE1.6),在模式转换的时候存在两步转换,而高次的包层模只有一步转换(如HE1.14).同时给出了包层模式转换对外界折射率响应的关系:当膜层厚度增加时,长周期光栅模式转换现象移至低折射率区域.     

Analysis of triangular resonator integrated with zinc oxide thin film

We proposed triangular resonator integrated with zinc oxide (ZnO) thin film. With assumption that ZnO thin film grown by low temperature hydrothermal method was placed on the over-cladding of the triangular resonator region, the propagation characteristic was analyzed using 2-D finite-difference time-domain method as a function of refractive index change of ZnO thin film. The wavelength of resonance was shifted about 0.002 nm when the change of refractive index of zinc oxide thin film was 0.01.