Lasing action and supercontinuum generation in nano- and micro-structures
Author(s)
Advisor
Date
2009Publisher
Bilkent University
Language
English
Type
ThesisItem Usage Stats
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Abstract
Supercontinuum generation is the substantial broadening of electromagnetic
radiation due to nonlinear interactions with the transporting medium. It nds
application in a wide range of areas, including spectroscopy, frequency metrology,
optical coherence tomography and telecommunications.
Whispering gallery mode microresonators con ne light in a micron scale area
via total internal re
ection mechanism. Among these structures, microtoroid is
especially interesting since it combines ultrahigh quality factor and chip integrability.
Applications of such structures include nonlinear and quantum optics,
biological and chemical sensing, telecommunications and quantum electrodynamics.
In the rst part of the present work, continuum generation from a nanostructured
chalcogenide glass (As2Se3) core, high temperature polymer (polyethersulfone,
PES) cladding ber was experimentally investigated. Simulation results for
nonlinear interactions inside a microtoroid are also provided. In the second part,
polymer coated toroidal microresonators were employed for observation of laser action. Owing to high quantum e ciency of the polymer, the observed lasing
threshold has a very low value of 200 pJ/pulse despite free space excitation.
Keywords
nonlinear opticslaser action
conjugated polymers
toroidal microcavities
chalcogenide glasses
supercontinuum generation