Stable integrated hyper-parametric oscillator based on coupled optical microcavities

Abstract

We propose a flexible scheme based on three coupled optical microcavities which permits to achieve stable oscillations in the microwave range, the frequency of which depends only on the cavity coupling rates. We find that the different dynamical regimes (soft and hard excitation) affect the oscillation intensity but not their period. This configuration may permit to implement compact hyper-parametric sources on an integrated optical circuit, with interesting applications in communications, sensing and metrology.

Microwave generation on an optical carrier in microresonator chains

“…In Fig. 2, we compare the results of the present approach a case qualitatively similar to what we presented in [29] study the evolution in time from noisy initial conditions of the cavity towards its self-pulsing state [the slight increase in P (from 30 in our previous study to 40) allows us to show more clearly the different bifurcations]. We plot the intensities of the super-modes and observe that the time at which the steady-state is achieved is different from Eq.…”

“…The latter is first attracted to the upper equilibrium branch, which is in turn unstable but allows the mode to enter in the oscillating regime. As it was shown in [29], the two conditions are connected in the bifurcation diagram and we can switch adiabatically from one to another, by changing δ.…”

“…, M , and characterize their properties. We proved in [29] that, if the coupling coefficients are large compared to the cavity lifetime, γ jk 1, the dynamics greatly simplifies and regular self-pulsing regimes are found. They can be thought as beating between super-modes.…”

“…Moreover large injection leads to a period-doubling bifurcation cascade to chaos. In [29], we showed that a system of three evanescently-coupled optical micro-race-track resonators with instantaneous Kerr response can be tuned to oscillate at a frequency that depends only on the coupling between the cavities (supposed large). This solutions is compatible with a Q ≈ 10 5 , so it cuts down the injection energy requirements; our approach is more robust and flexible.…”

“…In section II we introduce the diagonalization procedure of the nonlinear time-dependent coupled-mode equations (CMT) [34] to coupled super-mode equations (CSMT). In III we apply this to revisit and improve our understanding of the results of [29]. Remarkably, we present a new phase-space representation and a more detailed bifurcation diagram.…”