Kerry J. Vahala

California Institute of Technology

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John E. Bowers

University of California, Santa Barbara

Lue Wu

California Institute of Technology

Heming Wang

Stanford University

Tobias J. Kippenberg

École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne

Qi‐Fan Yang

Peking University

Ki Youl Yang

Harvard University

Boqiang Shen

SA Photonics (United States)

Scott A. Diddams

University of Colorado Boulder

Myoung‐Gyun Suh

Chung-Ang University

Hansuek Lee

Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology

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California Institute of Technology

251

National Institute of Standards and Technology

University of California, Santa Barbara

University of California, Berkeley

University of Colorado Boulder

Jet Propulsion Laboratory

W.M. Keck Observatory

Max Planck Society

University of Arizona

University of California, Santa Cruz

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Efficient microresonator frequency combs

eLight (2024)

Qi‐Fan Yang Yaowen Hu Víctor Torres–Company Kerry J. Vahala

The rapid development of optical frequency combs from their table-top origins towards chip-scale platforms has opened up exciting possibilities for comb functionalities outside laboratories. Enhanced nonlinear processes in microresonators have emerged as a mainstream comb-generating mechanism with compelling advantages in size, weight, and power consumption. The established understanding of gain and loss in nonlinear microresonators, along with recently developed ultralow-loss nonlinear photonic circuitry, has boosted the optical energy conversion efficiency of microresonator frequency comb (microcomb) devices from below a few percent to above 50%. This review summarizes the latest advances in novel photonic devices and pumping strategies that contribute to these milestones of microcomb efficiency. The resulting benefits for high-performance integration of comb applications are also discussed before summarizing the remaining challenges.

Optical frequency comb

10.1186/s43593-024-00075-5

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Citations (8)

Label-Free, Single-Molecule Detection with Optical Microcavities

Science (2007)

Andrea M. Armani Rajan P. Kulkarni Scott E. Fraser Richard C. Flagan Kerry J. Vahala

Current single-molecule detection techniques require labeling the target molecule. We report a highly specific and sensitive optical sensor based on an ultrahigh quality (Q) factor (Q > 10(8)) whispering-gallery microcavity. The silica surface is functionalized to bind the target molecule; binding is detected by a resonant wavelength shift. Single-molecule detection is confirmed by observation of single-molecule binding events that shift the resonant frequency, as well as by the statistics for these shifts over many binding events. These shifts result from a thermo-optic mechanism. Additionally, label-free, single-molecule detection of interleukin-2 was demonstrated in serum. These experiments demonstrate a dynamic range of 10(12) in concentration, establishing the microcavity as a sensitive and versatile detector.

10.1126/science.1145002

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Citations (1,098)

Microcavity Brillouin Laser with C-band Tunable Phase Matching Condition

Peng Liu Qing-Xin Ji Warren Jin Joel Guo Lue Wu

A Brillouin laser with electrically-tunable phase matching is demonstrated using high- Q SiN microresonators. The device lases anywhere on demand in the optical C-band. Electrical tuning also enables controlled access to specific phonon modes.

Brillouin zone

10.1364/nlo.2023.w3b.4

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Temporal Behavior of Radiation-Pressure-Induced Vibrations of an Optical Microcavity Phonon Mode

Physical Review Letters (2005)

Tal Carmon H. Rokhsari Lan Yang Tobias J. Kippenberg Kerry J. Vahala

We analyze experimentally and theoretically mechanical oscillation within an optical cavity stimulated by the pressure of circulating optical radiation. The resulting radio frequency cavity vibrations (phonon mode) cause modulation of the incident, continuous-wave (cw) input pump beam. Furthermore, with increasing cw pump power, an evolution from sinusoidal modulation to random oscillations is observed in the pump power coupled from the resonator. The temporal evolution with pump power is studied, and agreement was found with theory. In addition to applications in quantum optomechanics, the present work suggests that radiation-pressure-induced effects can establish a practical limit for the miniaturization of optical silica microcavities.

Optomechanics

Radiation Pressure

Oscillation (cell signaling)

Optical cavity

Modulation (music)

Continuous wave

Optical Pumping

Optical power

Optical radiation

10.1103/physrevlett.94.223902

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Citations (518)

Highly nondegenerate four-wave mixing and gain nonlinearity in a strained multiple-quantum-well optical amplifier

Applied Physics Letters (1993)

Jianhui Zhou Namkyoo Park Jay W. Dawson Kerry J. Vahala M.A. Newkirk

Highly nondegenerate four-wave mixing was investigated in a 1.5 μm compressively strained multi-quantum-well semiconductor traveling-wave optical amplifier at detuning frequencies up to 600 GHz. A gain nonlinearity with a characteristic relaxation time of 650 fs was determined from the data, and the nonlinear gain coefficient was estimated to be 4.3×10−23 m3. Dynamic carrier heating is believed to be the major source of nonlinear gain in this device at the wavelengths investigated.

Four-wave mixing

Differential gain

10.1063/1.109398

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Citations (28)

Dispersion engineered resonator on-a-chip | NIST

Nature Photonics (2016)

Scott A. Diddams Ki Youl Yang Xu Yi Hansuek Lee Dong Yoon Oh

NIST

Lab-on-a-Chip

Source

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27-Meter-Long Ultra-Low-Loss Optical Delay Line on a Silicon Chip

Conference on Lasers and Electro-Optics (2012)

Tong Chen Hansuek Lee Jiang Li Oskar Painter Kerry J. Vahala

Get PDF Email Share Share with Facebook Tweet This Post on reddit Share with LinkedIn Add to CiteULike Add to Mendeley Add to BibSonomy Get Citation Copy Citation Text T. Chen, H. Lee, J. Li, O. Painter, and K. Vahala, "27-Meter-Long Ultra-Low-Loss Optical Delay Line on a Silicon Chip," in Conference on Lasers and Electro-Optics 2012, OSA Technical Digest (online) (Optica Publishing Group, 2012), paper CTu3I.1. Export Citation BibTex Endnote (RIS) HTML Plain Text Citation alert Save article

Silicon chip

Line (geometry)

10.1364/cleo_si.2012.ctu3i.1

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Citations (1)

Back-action limit of linewidth in an optomechanical oscillator

Physical Review A (2008)

Kerry J. Vahala

Laser cooling and amplification of mechanical modes in an optical cavity are now possible with several device geometries. Quantum back action sets the fundamental limit to cooling. It has, however, not been considered in the regenerative oscillator, wherein mechanical amplification overcomes loss, leading to self-sustained, coherent oscillations at rf and microwave rates. In these devices, the spectral purity, as measured by the phase noise, has a back-action contribution that is herein derived and evaluated in recently characterized systems. Beyond its importance as a fundamental stability limit, it can provide a way to observe quantum back action within the context of cavity optomechanics. The analysis is also applied to the case of cooling, and a pump contribution to the cooling limit is derived.

Optomechanics

Laser linewidth

Quantum limit

10.1103/physreva.78.023832

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Citations (58)

A self-starting bi-chromatic LiNbO3 soliton microcomb

arXiv (Cornell University) (2018)

Yang He Qi‐Fan Yang Jingwei Ling Rui Luo Hanxiao Liang

For its many useful properties, including second and third-order optical nonlinearity as well as electro-optic control, lithium niobate is considered an important potential microcomb material. Here, a soliton microcomb is demonstrated in a monolithic high-Q lithium niobate resonator. Besides the demonstration of soliton mode locking, the photorefractive effect enables mode locking to self-start and soliton switching to occur bi-directionally. Second-harmonic generation of the soliton spectrum is also observed, an essential step for comb self-referencing. The Raman shock time constant of lithium niobate is also determined by measurement of soliton self-frequency-shift. Besides the considerable technical simplification provided by a self-starting soliton system, these demonstrations, together with the electro-optic and piezoelectric properties of lithium niobate, open the door to a multi-functional microcomb providing f-2f generation and fast electrical control of optical frequency and repetition rate, all of which are critical in applications including time keeping, frequency synthesis/division, spectroscopy and signal generation.

10.48550/arxiv.1812.09610

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Citations (50)

Broadband wavelength conversion with amplification by four-wave mixing in semiconductor travelling-wave amplifiers

Electronics Letters (1994)

Junhe Zhou Namkyoo Park Kerry J. Vahala M.A. Newkirk B.I. Miller

The authors demonstrate for the first time broadband wavelength conversion with amplification by four-wave mixing in semiconductor travelling-wave optical amplifiers and verify the cubic dependence of wavelength conversion efficiency on the amplifier's single-pass optical gain.

Four-wave mixing

Continuous wave

10.1049/el:19940588

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Citations (15)