We report the experimental and numerical observation of oscillatory switching between counter-propagating light beams in Kerr ring microresonators. This effect well captured by a simple coupled dynamical system featuring only the self- and cross-phase Kerr nonlinearities. Self-switching of counterpropagating light is robust for realizing controllable, all-optical generation of waveforms, signal encoding, and chaotic cryptography. Phys. Rev. Lett. 126, 043901
We demonstrate how the Kerr nonlinearity can be a key enabler for many digital photonic circuits. It allows access to bistable states needed for all-optical memories and switches that can operate at a single laser frequency with no additional electrical power. Opt. Express 29, 2193-2203 (2021)
We demonstrate a technique for suppressing backscattered light in a whispering-gallery-mode resonator by positioning a sub-wavelength-size scatterer within its evanescent field, achieving at least 34 dB suppression compared to the intrinsic backscattering. Read more: Light Sci Appl 9, 204 (2020) or press release.
Broadband frequency combs are a key enabling technology for frequency metrology and spectroscopy. Here, we demonstrate that the spectrum of a soliton microcomb can be extended by bi-chromatic pumping resulting in two combs that synchronize their repetition rate via cross-phase modulation. Read more: Nat Commun 11, 6384 (2020)
Toby recently visited Airbus Defence and Space to perform R&D experiments on advanced space optics components. The visit was a collaboration between Airbus and the Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light through the Horizon 2020 MICROCOMB network.
Congratulations to Andreas Svela for winning a prize for his talk at the Imperial College Faculty of Natural Sciences research showcase. The showcase presentation is aimed at a broader audience, explaining the backscatter suppression work published in Light Sci Appl 9, 204 (2020). Watch the Presentation here.
Our group will be presenting our most recent research results at the FiO-LS virtual conference. All our talks are on Wednesday 16 September (CET times).
Our paper on the direct measurement of the mode splitting induced by the Kerr effect has been published in Physical Review Letters. Phys. Rev. Lett. 124, 223901
Congratulations to Leonardo for passing his (virtual) PhD viva! Thanks also to his examiners and co-supervisors Derryck Reid, Frank Vollmer, and Marcello Ferrera.
Our paper on logic gates Based on Interaction of Counterpropagating Light in Microresonators has been published in Journal of Lightwave Technology. J. Lightwave Technol. 38, 1414-1419
Our paper on the effects of self- and cross-phase modulation on the spontaneous symmetry breaking of light in ring resonators has been published in Physical Review A. Phys. Rev. A 101, 013823
I am happy to announce that our research will move to the Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light in January 2020.
Our paper on the generation of stabilized THz-waves with a soliton microcomb has been published in Optics Express. https://doi.org/10.1364/OE.27.035257
Lewis Hill received the “Conference Stand-out Presentation”-Award at this year’s Institute of Physics CAPS conference in Swansea. Congratulations Lewis!
Together with Alessia Pasquazi’s group at the University of Sussex we published a paper on thermo-optical pulsing in a nested microresonator system embedded in a ring laser.
Optics Express 27, 19242-19254
Andreas Svela won the prize for the best student talk at the International Nanophotonics Summerschool at AMOLF for his talk on “Near-field sensing with symmetry-breaking enhancement in microresonators”. Congratulations Andreas!
We demonstrate a new technique to passively stabilize microresonator modes using an auxiliary laser. This enables the generation of soliton frequency combs at a record low threshold power of 780 microwatt.
Optica 6, 206-212
Press release
Our recent work on the interplay between time-reversal symmetry breaking and polarization symmetry breaking has been published in Physical Review Letters.
PRL 122 013905
Press release.
Together with our collaborators Michael Vanner and Georg Enzian from Imperial College we published a paper on Brillouin optomechanical strong coupling in microresonators.
Optica 6, 7-14 (2019)
Press release
Our paper on the dynamics of the interaction of counterpropagting light in microresonators has been published. This work has been done together with Gian-Luca Oppo and Lewis Hill at the University of Strathclyde.
Physical Review A, 98, 053863
We are organizing a special symposium on nonreciprocal photonics at CLEO2019 in San Jose (May 5th-10th 2019). Contributed submissions welcome! More information on the CLEO website.
Our work on nonlinear interaction of counterpropagating light in microresonators received the 2018 NPL Rayleigh Award. Congratulations to everyone!
Our work on microresonator-based optical isolators and circulators using the nonreciprocity of the Kerr effect has been published in Optica. https://doi.org/10.1364/OPTICA.5.000279
Leonardo Del Bino won a best poster award at the “653. WE-Heraeus-Seminar: Optical Microcavities and Their Applications” for his poster on optical isolators and circulators based on the nonreciprocity of the Kerr effect in microresonators.
Jonathan Silver received the “Best Presentation Award” of NPL’s time and frequency symposium.