Solid State and Optics Seminar

Wednesday, September 7, 2005

1:00 p.m.

107 Mason Lab

"Q > 100 million microresonators on silicon chips"

Prof. Kerry Vahala
CalTech, Applied Physics Dept

Abstract

A novel laser processing method has been applied to create optical micro-resonators having Q factors as high as 500 million on silicon wafers. The combination of Ultra-high-Q and small mode volume opens up new applications for wafer based resonators. In this talk I will first review the processing and passive optical properties of these devices and then describe their application to demonstrate micro Raman and micro OPOs on a chip as well as rare-earth-doped lasers on silicon. Finally, recent results concerning the observation of radiation-pressure-driven micro-mechanical oscillation at RF rates in these structures will be described.

Host: Jack Harris, Physics Dept