Selective excitation of high-order modes in two-dimensional cavity resonator integrated grating filters.

The selective spatial mode excitation of a bi-dimensional grating-coupled micro-cavity called a cavity resonator integrated grating filter (CRIGF) is reported using an incident beam shaped to reproduce the theoretical emission profiles of the device in one and subsequently two dimensions. In both cases, the selective excitation of modes up to order 10 (per direction) is confirmed by responses exhibiting one (respectively two) spectrally narrowband resonance(s) with a good extinction of the other modes, the latter being shown to depend on the parity and order(s) of the involved modes. These results pave the way toward the demonstration of multi-wavelength spatially selective reflectors or fiber-to-waveguide couplers.

Critical coupling in cavity-resonant integrated-grating filters (CRIGFs).

We experimentally demonstrate critical coupling in miniature grating-coupled resonators known as cavity-resonant integrated-grating filters (CRIGFs). Using previously proposed asymmetric grating coupler designs for non-linear CRIGFs, and introducing a dedicated variant of a coupled-modes theory model to estimate physical properties out of the measured reflection and transmission characteristics of these resonators, we demonstrate fine control over the in-and out-coupling rate to the resonator while keeping constant both the internal losses and the resonant wavelength. Furthermore, the critical coupling condition is also observed to coincide with the maximum enhancement of the second harmonic generation signal.

Reversible Switching of Strong Light-Matter Coupling Using Spin-Crossover Molecular Materials.

The formation of hybrid light-matter states through the resonant interaction of confined electromagnetic fields with matter excitations has emerged as a fascinating tool for controlling quantum-mechanical states and then manipulating the functionalities and chemical reactivity landscape of molecular materials. Here we report the first observation of switchable strong light-matter coupling involving bistable spin-crossover molecules. Spectroscopic measurements, supported by transfer-matrix and coupled-oscillator simulations, reveal Rabi splitting values of up to 550 meV, which at 15% of the molecular excitation energy enter the regime of ultrastrong coupling.

Spectrally-shaped illumination for improved optical inspection of lateral III-V-semiconductor oxidation.

We report an hyperspectral imaging microscopy system based on a spectrally-shaped illumination and its use to offer an enhanced in-situ inspection of a technological process that is critical in Vertical-Cavity Surface-Emitting Laser (VCSEL) manufacturing, the lateral III-V-semiconductor oxidation (AlOx). The implemented illumination source exploits a digital micromirror device (DMD) to arbitrarily tailor its emission spectrum. When combined to an imager, this source is shown to provide an additional ability to detect minute surface reflectance contrasts on any VCSEL or AlOx-based photonic structure and, in turn, to offer improved in-situ inspection of the oxide aperture shapes and dimensions down to the best-achievable optical resolution.

Broadband high-contrast visible optical switches based on a spin-crossover material.

Visible optical switches embedding a spin-crossover thin film and exploiting the frustrated total internal reflection operation principle are studied and optimized numerically with a view to obtain broadband high-contrast devices. A practical implementation using uncoated SF11 prisms embedding a 1-µm-thick layer of iron-triazolyl-borate complex as the thermo-active phase-change material is shown to support -polarized modulation with contrast in excess of 90% over a spectral bandwidth greater than 270 nm and over an angular acceptance bandwidth of 0.45°, surpassing the performance achievable with optically resonant devices.

Cavity-resonator integrated bi-atom grating coupler for enhanced second-harmonic generation.

We report on the design of cavity-resonator integrated grating couplers for second-harmonic generation. The key point is that the base pattern of our grating coupler (GC) is made of two ridges with different widths (bi-atom). Thus, we reach extremely high Q-factors (above 10) with structures whose fabrication is not challenging, since the bi-atom base pattern is close to that of the surrounded distributed Bragg reflectors (DBR).

Extreme enhancement of the quality (Q)-factor and mode field intensity in cavity-resonator gratings.

In this paper, dielectric Cavity-Resonant Integrated-Grating Filters (CRIGFs) are numerically optimized to achieve extremely high-quality factors, by optimizing the cavity in/out-coupling rate and by introducing apodizing mode-matching sections to reduce scattering losses. Q-factors ranging between 0.1 and 50 million are obtained and two different domains are distinguished, as a function of the perturbation parameter which controls the cavity in/out-coupling rate.

Cavity resonator-integrated guided-mode resonance filters with on-chip electro- and thermo-optic tuning.

Cavity resonator grating filters (CRIGFs) integrated on lithium niobate on insulator (LNOI) with electrical tuning elements are reported. The resonance wavelength of the filters is in the 780 nm range. Integrated thermo-optical tuning range of 2.

Second-harmonic-generation enhancement in cavity resonator integrated grating filters.

We demonstrate numerically and experimentally second-harmonic generation (SHG) in a cavity resonator integrated grating filter (CRIGF, a planar cavity resonator made of Bragg grating reflectors) around 1550 nm. SHG is modeled numerically for several different systems, including a thin plane layer of LiNbO without and with a grating coupler to excite a waveguide mode. We demonstrate that when the waveguide mode is confined to a CRIGF, designed to work with focused incident beams, the SHG power is increased more than 30 times, compared to the case of a single grating coupler used with an almost collimated pump beam.

Low-loss buried AlGaAs/AlOx waveguides using a quasi-planar process.

In this paper, we demonstrate that buried oxide-confined waveguides can be formed using a lateral oxidation process carried out through a discrete set of small-diameter via-holes instead of the conventional scheme where the oxidation starts from the edges of etched mesas. The via-hole oxidation is shown to lead to straight waveguides with smooth oxide/semiconductor interfaces and whose propagation losses are similar to one obtained using the standard process but with the advantage of maintaining a quasi-planar wafer surface. It thereby paves the way towards a simplification of the fabrication of III-V-semiconductor-oxide photonic devices.

Optical trapping with "on-demand" two-photon luminescence using Cr:LiSAF laser with optically addressed saturable Bragg reflector.

We demonstrate a diode-pumped Cr:LiSAF laser with controllable and reliable fast switching between its continuous-wave and mode-locked states of operation using an optically-addressed semiconductor Bragg reflector, permitting dyed microspheres to be continuously trapped and monitored using a standard microscope imaging and on-demand two-photon-excited luminescence techniques.

InP/AlGaInP quantum dot semiconductor disk lasers for CW TEM00 emission at 716 - 755 nm.

Multiple layers of InP QDs, self-assembled during epitaxial growth, were incorporated into the active region of an (Al(x)Ga(1-x))(0.51)In(0.49)P based semiconductor disk laser with monolithic Al(x)Ga(1-x)As distributed Bragg reflector.

Tunable single-mode fiber-VCSEL using an intracavity polymer microlens.

We report a tunable, single-mode vertical cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL) format suitable for array operation, power scaling, fiber coupling, and operation in isolated environments such as those required by atom optics. The devices are fiber VCSELs, consisting of a semiconductor gain and mirror structure separated from a mirror-coated optical fiber by an air (or vacuum) gap. The gain structure has polymer microlenses fabricated on its surface, of characteristics suitable to focus the oscillating mode on both cavity mirrors, ensuring stable fundamental mode emission and high fiber coupling efficiency.

Microlensed microchip VECSEL.

We report a 1.055-mum microchip VECSEL array which uses a microlens-patterned diamond both as a heatspreader and as an array of concave output mirrors. This configuration, which is suitable for laser array operation, is here exploited to perform a systematic study of a set of microchip lasers with the same semiconductor structure but different cavity properties.

Intracavity diamond heatspreaders in lasers: the effects of birefringence.

The birefringence of a number of commercially-available diamond platelets is assessed in the context of their use for intracavity thermal management in lasers. Although diamond is normally thought of as isotropic, significant birefringence is found to be present in some samples, with considerable variation from batch to batch, and in some cases across an individual sample. Nonetheless, low-loss operation is achieved in a laser cavity containing a Brewster element, either by rotating the sample or by using a diamond platelet with low birefringence.

Slow-light in a vertical-cavity semiconductor optical amplifier.

This paper discusses the effect of slow-light in Vertical-Cavity Semiconductor Optical Amplifiers. A Fabry-Perot model is used to predict the group delay (GD) and GD-bandwidth performance of a VCSOA operated in reflection in the linear regime. It is shown that the GD depends on all cavity parameters while the GDxGD-bandwidth product only depends on the gain.

Red microchip VECSEL array.

We report an InGaP/AlInGaP/GaAs microchip vertical-external-cavity surface emitting laser operating directly at red wavelengths and demonstrate its potential for array-format operation. Optical pumping with up to 3.3W at 532nm produced a maximum output power of 330mW at 675nm, in a single circularly-symmetric beam with M2<2.

High power CW red VECSEL with linearly polarized TEM00 output beam.

High-power, continuous-wave operation at red wavelengths has been achieved with a vertical external cavity surface emitting laser based on the GaInP/AlGaInP/GaAs material system. Output power of 0.4W was obtained in a linearly polarized, circularly symmetric, diffraction-limited beam.