Because of the scaling of light-matter interaction with the confinement of the electromagnetic field, close to diffraction-limited, dielectric resonators are the cornerstone of novel photonic devices and fundamental research. The availability of advanced fabrication technologies has motivated strategies for optimal design, whereas efficient computing and genetic algorithms are used to tackle the many degrees of freedom available. Other strategies attempt harnessing disorder and imperfections to achieve ultimate optical confinement.
Here we will discuss a radically different approach: quasi-periodic photonic structures, governed by a very reduced set of parameters, already providing much desired features for novel devices but also for studying fundamental interaction. In order to illustrate this concept I will discuss a few examples: optical parametric oscillators, optomechanics and silicon photonics.
Optical frequency comb sources based on quadratic nonlinearities provide an interesting alternative to Kerr combs in terms of reduced pump power requirements and extended spectral coverage. We review theory and recent experiments of quadratic optical frequency combs based on second-harmonic generation and optical parametric oscillation
We report the demonstration of ultra-high Q (>2.5 ×106) ring resonators made of fully-etched single crystal aluminum nitride waveguides on sapphire substrate, at 1550nm wavelength, enabling a new class of compact classical/quantum photonic devices.
We report on microring resonator with integrated photonic crystal that is capable of supporting discrete Raman signals with 7 orders of magnitude enhancement in the spectral range of 2-5 μm. The proposed platform can be used for advanced spectroscopic sensing applications.