We demonstrate continuous scanning of a dissipative Kerr micro-resonator soliton comb (hereafter called soliton comb). Detuning between a cw pump laser and a resonance of a microresonator is fixed via Pound-Drever-Hall (PDH) locking during scanning so as to maintain soliton operation. We show continuous comb mode scanning of as large as 190 GHz by heating the microresonator. In addition, with the frequency-scanned soliton comb, we demonstrate broadband, high resolution spectroscopy, showing spectral features with a bandwidth of as small as 5 MHz, while covering more than 2 THz spectrum.
Recent progress on the fabrication techniques used in silicon photonics foundries has enabled us to fabricate photonic crystal (PhC) nanocavities using a complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) compatible process. A high Q two-dimensional PhC nanocavity and a one-dimensional nanobeam PhC cavity with a Q exceeding 100 thousand have been fabricated using ArF excimer laser immersion lithography. These are important steps toward the fusion of silicon photonics devices and PhC devices. Although the fabrication must be reproducible for industrial applications, the properties of PhC nanocavities are sensitively affected by the proximity effect and randomness. In this study, we quantitatively investigated the influence of the proximity effect and randomness on a silicon nanobeam PhC cavity. First, we discussed the optical properties of cavities defined with one- and two-step exposure methods, which revealed the necessity of a multi-stage exposure process for our structure. Then, we investigated the impact of block structures placed next to the cavities. The presence of the blocks modified the resonant wavelength of the cavities by about 10 nm. The highest Q we obtained was over 100 thousand. We also discussed the influence of photomask misalignment, which is also a possible cause of disorders in the photolithographic fabrication process. This study will provide useful information for fabricating integrated photonic circuits with PhC nanocavities using a photolithographic process.
An ultra-high Q whispering gallery mode (WGM) cavity is attractive because the light-matter interaction is enhanced inside it. In terms of science and engineering, an interesting use of a WGM cavity is as a coupled system. When two cavity modes are strongly coupled, they are split in the frequency domain and photons are transferred cyclically between the two modes in the time domain. Recently, the time-domain observation and control of the coupling states were reported with photonic crystal nanocavities, and this technology is essential for developing a quantum node and a quantum network. However, such experiments have not yet been achieved with ultra-high Q modes despite the potential benefit to be gained from the use of ultra-high Q cavities. In this study, we observed strong coupling between ultra-high Q modes in the time domain for the first time. We employed two counter-propagating modes that coupled with each other via surface scattering in a silica toroid microcavity. We employed two tapered fibers (add-drop configuration), one for excitation and the other for observing the energy oscillation between two cavities, which is a necessary technique for directly observing energy in a cavity. The results revealed clear oscillatory behavior, which was induced by the strong coupling. In addition, the oscillation period in the time domain precisely matched that inferred from the mode splitting in the frequency domain, and the measured results showed excellent agreement with those calculated with the developed numerical model.
High Q optical cavities are employed to realize a coupled cavity system with which to achieve optical signal processing. Photonic crystal (PhC) nanocavities are particularly attractive because they are suitable for integration. However, they usually suffer from low coupling efficiency with optical fiber and poor resonant wavelength controllability. We recently demonstrated cavity mode formation by placing a tapered nanofiber close to a two-dimensional photonic crystal waveguide. The cavity mode couples directly with the nanofiber, which results in a coupling efficiency of 39% with a high Q of over half a million. The cavity is formed due to the modulation of the effective refractive index, which is caused by bringing a nanofiber close to the silicon slab. Precise tuning of the resonant wavelength becomes possible by changing the contact area of the nanofiber. In this study, we demonstrate the coupling and de-coupling of coupled PhC nanocavities formed by a nanofiber placed on a PhC waveguide. The wavelength shift of one of the cavities (mode A) is more sensitive than that of the other cavity (mode B) to a change in the nanofiber contact area. By using this difference, we can tune the resonant wavelength of mode A (Q = 4.6×105) to that of mode B (Q = 6.0×105). Then, a clear anti-crossing with a mode splitting of g/2π = 0.94 GHz is observed, which is the result of the coupling of the two modes. A reconfigurable coupled cavity system was demonstrated.
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