Method and system for pumping of an optical resonator

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9385503-B2
Application number	US-201514684144-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 10, 2015
Priority date	Jul 12, 2013
Publication date	Jul 5, 2016
Grant date	Jul 5, 2016

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.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for pumping an optical resonator, comprising:
propagating a light having a first frequency through a photonic crystal region of an optical resonator to an interface within the optical resonator, wherein the optical resonator includes the photonic crystal and a material, and wherein the interface is between the photonic crystal and the material;
converting the light from the first frequency to a second frequency at the interface between the photonic crystal and the material, the second frequency within a frequency bandgap of a surface state of the photonic crystal at the interface;
exciting the surface state of the photonic crystal at the interface between the photonic crystal and the material using the second frequency; and
propagating the surface state of the photonic crystal within a limited range within the photonic crystal along the interface using the second frequency.

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

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 light comprises a propagating mode of the photonic crystal.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the material includes a second photonic crystal.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the second photonic crystal is a one-dimensional crystal.

7. The method of claim 5 , wherein the second photonic crystal is a two-dimensional crystal.

8. The method of claim 5 , wherein the second photonic crystal is a three-dimensional crystal.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the material includes a different material than the photonic crystal, and wherein the different material includes at least one of: a metal, a dielectric, and a gas.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein converting the first frequency is based on a non-coherent process, and wherein the non-coherent process is based on at least one of fluorescence or sequential photon upconversion.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the bandgap is a complete bandgap, wherein the complete bandgap extends over all wave vectors.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the bandgap is an incomplete bandgap, wherein the incomplete bandgap extends over partial wave vector ranges.

13. 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 propagate a light having a first frequency through a photonic crystal region of an optical resonator to an interface within the optical resonator, wherein the optical resonator includes the photonic crystal and a material, and wherein the interface is between the photonic crystal and the material;
instructions to convert the light from the first frequency to a second frequency at the interface between the photonic crystal and the material, the second frequency within a frequency bandgap of a surface state of the photonic crystal at the interface;
instructions to excite the surface state of the photonic crystal at the interface between the photonic crystal and the material using the second frequency; and
instructions to propagate the surface state of the photonic crystal within a limited range within the photonic crystal along the interface using the second frequency.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13 , wherein the first frequency is changed within a region corresponding to a modal envelope of the surface state.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13 , wherein the light is allowed to propagate through only the photonic crystal.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13 , wherein the light comprises a propagating mode of the photonic crystal.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13 , wherein the material includes a second photonic crystal.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17 , wherein the second photonic crystal is a one-dimensional crystal.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17 , wherein the second photonic crystal is a two-dimensional crystal.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17 , wherein the second photonic crystal is a three-dimensional crystal.

21. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13 , wherein the material includes a different material than the photonic crystal, and wherein the different material includes at least one of: a metal, a dielectric, and a gas.

22. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13 , wherein converting the first frequency is based on a non-coherent process, and wherein the non-coherent process is based on at least one of fluorescence or sequential photon upconversion.

23. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13 , wherein the bandgap is a complete bandgap, wherein the complete bandgap extends over all wave vectors.

24. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13 , wherein the bandgap is an incomplete bandgap, wherein the incomplete bandgap extends over partial wave vector ranges.

25. A system for pumping an optical resonator, comprising:
a controllable light source configured to
generate light at a first frequency; and
propagate the light through a photonic crystal region of an optical resonator to an interface within the optical resonator, wherein the optical resonator includes the photonic crystal and a material, and wherein the interface is between the photonic crystal and the material;

a processing circuit configured to:
control the generation of the light by the light source;
monitor conversion of the light from the first frequency to a second frequency at the interface between the photonic crystal and the material, the second frequency within a frequency bandgap of a surface state of the photonic crystal at the interface;
monitor excitation of the surface state of the photonic crystal at the interface between the photonic crystal and the material using the second frequency; and
monitor propagation of the surface state of the photonic crystal within a limited range within the photonic crystal along the interface using the second frequency.

26. The system of claim 25 , wherein the first frequency is changed within a region corresponding to a modal envelope of the surface state.

27. The system of claim 25 , wherein the light is allowed to propagate through only the photonic crystal.

28. The system of claim 25 , wherein the light comprises a propagating mode of the photonic crystal.

29. The system of claim 25 , wherein the material includes a second photonic crystal.

30. The system of claim 29 , wherein the second photonic crystal is a one-dimensional crystal.

31. The system of claim 29 , wherein the second photonic crystal is at least one of a two-dimensional crystal or a three-dimensional crystal.

32. The system of claim 25 , wherein the material includes a different material than the photonic crystal, and wherein the different material includes at least one of: a metal, a dielectric, and a gas.

33. The system of claim 25 , wherein converting the first frequency is based on a non-coherent process,

Assignees

• Elwha 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 Jr Lowell L

Classifications

• G02F2202/32

  Photonic crystals · CPC title

• H01S5/10

  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 title

• H01S3/0912 Primary

  Electronics or drivers for the pump source, i.e. details of drivers or circuitry specific for laser pumping (laser diode drivers H01S5/042) · CPC title

• H01S3/0092 Primary

  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 title

• H01S3/0604

  in the form of a plate or disc · CPC title