Resolving the topology of encircling multiple exceptional points.

Non-Hermiticity has emerged as a new paradigm for controlling coupled-mode systems in ways that cannot be achieved with conventional techniques. One aspect of this control that has received considerable attention recently is the encircling of exceptional points (EPs). To date, most work has focused on systems consisting of two modes that are tuned by two control parameters and have isolated EPs. While these systems exhibit exotic features related to EP encircling, it has been shown that richer behavior occurs in systems with more than two modes. Such systems can be tuned by more than two control parameters, and contain EPs that form a knot-like structure. Control loops that encircle this structure cause the system's eigenvalues to trace out non-commutative braids. Here we consider a hybrid scenario: a three-mode system with just two control parameters. We describe the relationship between control loops and their topology in the full and two-dimensional parameter space. We demonstrate this relationship experimentally using a three-mode mechanical system in which the control parameters are provided by optomechanical interaction with a high-finesse optical cavity.

Controllable oscillatory lateral coupling in a waveguide-microdisk-resonator system.

We report a theoretical and experimental study of coupling between a whispering-gallery-mode (WGM) microdisk resonator and a fiber taper which exchange energies at two distinct regions. We observe an oscillatory behavior in the coupling strength as a function of the distance between the two coupling regions when a fiber taper is moved laterally above the resonator at fixed vertical distance. This oscillation is clearly seen in the linewidth of the resonance as well as in the on-resonance transmission. A theoretical model considering for two-point coupling successfully explains the experimental observations as being a result of the interference between the light fields coupled into and out of the resonator at two distinct regions and the light transmitted through the waveguide. Critical coupling in two-region coupling is a collective result of the coupling at two different coupling regions, and does not require critical coupling at both or at any one of the two coupling regions. This relaxes the conditions for achieving critical coupling in waveguide-resonator systems. The discovery of this previously unnoticed oscillatory behavior in two-region coupling between a WGM resonator and a waveguide will benefit both fundamental studies and practical applications based on WGM resonators.

Ultrafast laser-probing spectroscopy for studying molecular structure of protein aggregates.

We report the development of a new technique to screen protein aggregation based on laser-probing spectroscopy with sub-picosecond resolution. Protein aggregation is an important topic for materials science, fundamental biology as well as clinical studies in neurodegenerative diseases and translation studies in biomaterials engineering. However, techniques to study protein aggregation and assembly are limited to infrared spectroscopy, fluorescent assays, immunostaining, or functional assays among others. Here, we report a new technique to characterize protein structure-property relationship based on ultrafast laser-probing spectroscopy. First, we show theoretically that the temperature dependence of the refractive index of a protein is correlated to its crystallinity. Then, we performed time-domain thermo-transmission experiments on purified semi-crystalline proteins, both native and recombinant (i.e., silk and squid ring teeth), and also on intact E. coli cells bearing overexpressed recombinant protein. Our results demonstrate, for the first time, relative quantification of crystallinity in real time for protein aggregates. Our approach can potentially be used for screening an ultra-large number of proteins in vivo. Using this technique, we could answer many fundamental questions in structural protein research, such as the underlying sequence-structure relationship for protein assembly and aggregation.

Raman lasing and Fano lineshapes in a packaged fiber-coupled whispering-gallery-mode microresonator.

We report Raman lasing and the optical analog of electromagnetically-induced-transparency (EIT) in a whispering-gallery-mode (WGM) microtoroid resonator embedded in a low refractive index polymer matrix together with a tapered fiber coupler. The microtoroid resonator supports both single mode and multimode Raman lasing with low power thresholds. Observations of Fano and EIT-like phenomena in a packaged microresonator will enable high resolution sensors and can be used in networks where slow-light effect is needed. These results will open up new possibilities for portable, robust, and stable WGM microlasers and resonator-based sensors for applications in various environments.

Metrology with PT-Symmetric Cavities: Enhanced Sensitivity near the PT-Phase Transition.

We propose and analyze a new approach based on parity-time (PT) symmetric microcavities with balanced gain and loss to enhance the performance of cavity-assisted metrology. We identify the conditions under which PT-symmetric microcavities allow us to improve sensitivity beyond what is achievable in loss-only systems. We discuss the application of PT-symmetric microcavities to the detection of mechanical motion, and show that the sensitivity is significantly enhanced near the transition point from unbroken- to broken-PT regimes. Our results open a new direction for PT-symmetric physical systems and it may find use in ultrahigh precision metrology and sensing.

Stimulated Brillouin scattering and Brillouin-coupled four-wave-mixing in a silica microbottle resonator.

We report the first observation of stimulated Brillouin scattering (SBS) with Brillouin lasing, and Brillouin-coupled four-wave-mixing (FWM) in an ultra-high-Q silica microbottle resonator. The Brillouin lasing was observed at the frequency of ΩB = 2π × 10.4 GHz with a threshold power of 0.45 mW. Coupling between Brillouin and FWM was observed in both backward and forward scattering directions with separations of 2ΩB. At a pump power of 10 mW, FWM spacing reached to 7th and 9th order anti-Stokes and Stokes, respectively.

Chiral modes and directional lasing at exceptional points.

Controlling the emission and the flow of light in micro- and nanostructures is crucial for on-chip information processing. Here we show how to impose a strong chirality and a switchable direction of light propagation in an optical system by steering it to an exceptional point (EP)-a degeneracy universally occurring in all open physical systems when two eigenvalues and the corresponding eigenstates coalesce. In our experiments with a fiber-coupled whispering-gallery-mode (WGM) resonator, we dynamically control the chirality of resonator modes and the emission direction of a WGM microlaser in the vicinity of an EP: Away from the EPs, the resonator modes are nonchiral and laser emission is bidirectional. As the system approaches an EP, the modes become chiral and allow unidirectional emission such that by transiting from one EP to another one the direction of emission can be completely reversed. Our results exemplify a very counterintuitive feature of non-Hermitian physics that paves the way to chiral photonics on a chip.

Gain competition induced mode evolution and resonance control in erbium-doped whispering-gallery microresonators.

Precise control of resonance features in microcavities is of significant importance both for researches and applications. By exploiting gain provided by the doped rare earth ions or Raman gain, this can be achieved through changing the pump. Here we propose and experimentally show that by using gain competition, one can also control the evolution of resonance for the probe signal while the pump is kept unchanged. The transition of Lorentz peak, Fano-like resonance and Lorentz dip can be observed from the transmission spectra of the probe signal through tuning the auxiliary control signal. The theory based on coupled-mode theory and laser rate equations by setting the optical gains as time-dependent was constructed. This method can be used in the precise control of transmission spectra and the coupling regime between the waveguide and microcavities.

Raman gain induced mode evolution and on-demand coupling control in whispering-gallery-mode microcavities.

Waveguide-coupled optical resonators have played an important role in a wide range of applications including optical communication, sensing, nonlinear optics, slow/fast light, and cavity QED. In such a system, the coupling regimes strongly affect the resonance feature in the light transmission spectra, and hence the performance and outcomes of the applications. Therefore it is crucial to control the coupling between the waveguide and the microresonator. In this work, we investigated a fiber-taper coupled whispering-gallery-mode microresonator system, in which the coupling regime is traditionally controlled by adjusting the distance between the resonator and the fiber-taper mechanically. We propose and experimentally demonstrate that by utilizing Raman gain one can achieve on-demand control of the coupling regime without any mechanical movement in the resonator system. Particularly, the application of Raman gain is accompanied by Q enhancement. We also show that with the help of Raman gain control, the transitions between various coupling regimes can affect the light transmission spectra so as to provide better resolvability and signal amplification. This all-optical approach is also suitable for monolithically integrated and packaged waveguide-resonator systems, whose coupling regime is fixed at the time of manufacturing. It provides an effective route to control the light transmission in a waveguide-couple resonator system without mechanically moving individual optical components.

Transient microcavity sensor.

A transient and high sensitivity sensor based on high-Q microcavity is proposed and studied theoretically. There are two ways to realize the transient sensor: monitor the spectrum by fast scanning of probe laser frequency or monitor the transmitted light with fixed laser frequency. For both methods, the non-equilibrium response not only tells the ultrafast environment variance, but also enable higher sensitivity. As examples of application, the transient sensor for nanoparticles adhering and passing by the microcavity is studied. It's demonstrated that the transient sensor can sense coupling region, external linear variation together with the speed and the size of a nanoparticle. We believe that our researches will open a door to the fast dynamic sensing by microcavity.

Vertically coupled microresonators and oscillatory mode splitting in photonic molecules.

We report the formation of a photonic molecule by vertically coupling two microdisk resonators. We show that mode splitting monotonously increases when one resonator vertically approaches the other. However, when the vertical distance is kept fixed and one resonator is moved horizontally with respect to the other, the strength of coupling and hence the mode splitting demonstrate an oscillatory behavior. This is attributed to the interference of light coupled into the resonators through multiple coupling regions as confirmed by a theoretical model based on coupled mode theory.

Lithium-Niobate-Silica Hybrid Whispering-Gallery-Mode Resonators.

Lithium-niobate-silica hybrid resonators with quality factors higher than 10(5) are fabricated by depositing a layer of polycrystalline lithium niobate on the flat top surfaces of inverted-wedge silica microdisk resonators. All-optical modulation with improved performance over silica-only resonators and electro-optic modulation not achievable in silica-only resonators are realized in the hybrid resonators.

What is and what is not electromagnetically induced transparency in whispering-gallery microcavities.

There has been an increasing interest in all-optical analogues of electromagnetically induced transparency and Autler-Townes splitting. Despite the differences in their underlying physics, both electromagnetically induced transparency and Autler-Townes splitting are quantified by a transparency window in the absorption or transmission spectrum, which often leads to a confusion about its origin. While the transparency window in electromagnetically induced transparency is a result of Fano interference among different transition pathways, in Autler-Townes splitting it is the result of strong field-driven interactions leading to the splitting of energy levels. Being able to tell objectively whether an observed transparency window is because of electromagnetically induced transparency or Autler-Townes splitting is crucial for applications and for clarifying the physics involved. Here we demonstrate the pathways leading to electromagnetically induced transparency, Fano resonances and Autler-Townes splitting in coupled whispering-gallery-mode resonators. Moreover, we report the application of the Akaike Information Criterion discerning between all-optical analogues of electromagnetically induced transparency and Autler-Townes splitting and clarifying the transition between them.

Highly sensitive detection of nanoparticles with a self-referenced and self-heterodyned whispering-gallery Raman microlaser.

Optical whispering-gallery-mode resonators (WGMRs) have emerged as promising platforms for label-free detection of nano-objects. The ultimate sensitivity of WGMRs is determined by the strength of the light-matter interaction quantified by quality factor/mode volume, Q/V, and the resolution is determined by Q. To date, to improve sensitivity and precision of detection either WGMRs have been doped with rare-earth ions to compensate losses and increase Q or plasmonic resonances have been exploited for their superior field confinement and lower V. Here, we demonstrate, for the first time to our knowledge, enhanced detection of single-nanoparticle-induced mode splitting in a silica WGMR via Raman gain-assisted loss compensation and WGM Raman microlaser. In particular, the use of the Raman microlaser provides a dopant-free, self-referenced, and self-heterodyned scheme with a detection limit ultimately determined by the thermorefractive noise. Notably, we detected and counted individual nanoparticles with polarizabilities down to 3.82 × 10(-6) µm(3) by monitoring a heterodyne beatnote signal. This level of sensitivity is achieved without exploiting plasmonic effects, external references, or active stabilization and frequency locking. Single nanoparticles are detected one at a time; however, their characterization by size or polarizability requires ensemble measurements and statistical averaging. This dopant-free scheme retains the inherited biocompatibility of silica and could find widespread use for sensing in biological media. The Raman laser and operation band of the sensor can be tailored for the specific sensing environment and the properties of the targeted materials by changing the pump laser wavelength. This scheme also opens the possibility of using intrinsic Raman or parametric gain for loss compensation in other systems where dissipation hinders progress and limits applications.

Inverted-wedge silica resonators for controlled and stable coupling.

Silica microresonators with an inverted-wedge shape were fabricated using conventional semiconductor fabrication methods. The measured quality factors of the resonators were greater than 10(6) in 1550 nm band. Controllable coupling from undercoupling to the overcoupling regime through the critical coupling point was demonstrated by horizontally moving a fiber taper while in touch with the top surface of the resonator. The thin outer ring of the resonator provided a support for the fiber taper leading to robust stable coupling.

Quantum internet using code division multiple access.

A crucial open problem inS large-scale quantum networks is how to efficiently transmit quantum data among many pairs of users via a common data-transmission medium. We propose a solution by developing a quantum code division multiple access (q-CDMA) approach in which quantum information is chaotically encoded to spread its spectral content, and then decoded via chaos synchronization to separate different sender-receiver pairs. In comparison to other existing approaches, such as frequency division multiple access (FDMA), the proposed q-CDMA can greatly increase the information rates per channel used, especially for very noisy quantum channels.

Photonic molecules formed by coupled hybrid resonators.

We describe a method that enables free-standing whispering-gallery-mode microresonators, and report spectral tuning of photonic molecules formed by coupled free and on-chip resonators with different geometries and materials. We study direct coupling via evanescent fields of free silica microtoroids and microspheres with on-chip polymer coated silica microtoroids. We demonstrate thermal tuning of resonance modes to achieve maximal spectral overlap, mode splitting induced by direct coupling, and the effects of distance between the resonators on the splitting spectra.

Detection and size measurement of individual hemozoin nanocrystals in aquatic environment using a whispering gallery mode resonator.

We, for the first time, report the detection and the size measurement of single nanoparticles (i.e. polystyrene) in aquatic environment using mode splitting in a whispering gallery mode (WGM) optical resonator, namely a microtoroid resonator. Using this method we achieved detecting and measuring individual synthetic hemozoin nanocrystals--a hemoglobin degradation by-product of malarial parasites--dispersed in a solution or in air. The results of size measurement in solution and in air agree with each other and with those obtained using scanning electron microscope and dynamic light scattering. Moreover, we compare the sensing capabilities of the degenerate (single resonance) and non-degenerate (split mode, doublet) operation regimes of the WGM resonator.

Single virus and nanoparticle size spectrometry by whispering-gallery-mode microcavities.

Detecting and characterizing single nanoparticles and airborne viruses are of paramount importance for disease control and diagnosis, for environmental monitoring, and for understanding size dependent properties of nanoparticles for developing innovative products. Although single particle and virus detection have been demonstrated in various platforms, single-shot size measurement of each detected particle has remained a significant challenge. Here, we present a nanoparticle size spectrometry scheme for label-free, real-time and continuous detection and sizing of single Influenza A virions, polystyrene and gold nanoparticles using split whispering-gallery-modes (WGMs) in an ultra-high-Q resonator. We show that the size of each particle and virion can be measured as they continuously bind to the resonator one-by-one, eliminating the need for ensemble measurements, stochastic analysis or imaging techniques employed in previous works. Moreover, we show that our scheme has the ability to identify the components of particle mixtures.

Detecting single viruses and nanoparticles using whispering gallery microlasers.

There is a strong demand for portable systems that can detect and characterize individual pathogens and other nanoscale objects without the use of labels, for applications in human health, homeland security, environmental monitoring and diagnostics. However, most nanoscale objects of interest have low polarizabilities due to their small size and low refractive index contrast with the surrounding medium. This leads to weak light-matter interactions, and thus makes the label-free detection of single nanoparticles very difficult. Micro- and nano-photonic devices have emerged as highly sensitive platforms for such applications, because the combination of high quality factor Q and small mode volume V leads to significantly enhanced light-matter interactions. For example, whispering gallery mode microresonators have been used to detect and characterize single influenza virions and polystyrene nanoparticles with a radius of 30 nm (ref. 12) by measuring in the transmission spectrum either the resonance shift or mode splitting induced by the nanoscale objects. Increasing Q leads to a narrower resonance linewidth, which makes it possible to resolve smaller changes in the transmission spectrum, and thus leads to improved performance. Here, we report a whispering gallery mode microlaser-based real-time and label-free detection method that can detect individual 15-nm-radius polystyrene nanoparticles, 10-nm gold nanoparticles and influenza A virions in air, and 30 nm polystyrene nanoparticles in water. Our approach relies on measuring changes in the beat note that is produced when an ultra-narrow emission line from a whispering gallery mode microlaser is split into two modes by a nanoscale object, and these two modes then interfere. The ultimate detection limit is set by the laser linewidth, which can be made much narrower than the resonance linewidth of any passive resonator. This means that microlaser sensors have the potential to detect objects that are too small to be detected by passive resonator sensors.