Universal symmetry-breaking dynamics for the Kerr interaction of counterpropagating light in dielectric ring resonators

Woodley, Michael T. M. and Silver, Jonathan M. and Hill, Lewis and Copie, François and Del Bino, Leonardo and Zhang, Shuangyou and Oppo, Gian-Luca and Del'Haye, Pascal (2018) Universal symmetry-breaking dynamics for the Kerr interaction of counterpropagating light in dielectric ring resonators. Physical Review A - Atomic, Molecular, and Optical Physics, 98 (5). 053863. ISSN 1050-2947 (https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevA.98.053863)

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Abstract

Spontaneous symmetry breaking is an important concept in many areas of physics. A fundamentally simple symmetry-breaking mechanism in electrodynamics occurs between counterpropagating electromagnetic waves in ring resonators, mediated by the Kerr nonlinearity. The interaction of counterpropagating light in bidi- rectionally pumped microresonators finds application in the realization of optical nonreciprocity (for optical diodes), studies of PT-symmetric systems, and the generation of counterpropagating solitons. Here, we present comprehensive analytical and dynamical models for the nonlinear Kerr interaction of counterpropagating light in a dielectric ring resonator. In particular, we study discontinuous behavior in the onset of spontaneous symmetry breaking, indicating divergent sensitivity to small external perturbations. These results can be applied to realize, for example, highly sensitive near-field or rotation sensors. We then generalize to a time-dependent model, which predicts different types of dynamical behavior, including oscillatory regimes that could enable Kerr-nonlinearity-driven all-optical oscillators. The physics of our model can be applied to other systems featuring Kerr-type interaction between two distinct modes, such as for light of opposite circular polarization in nonlinear resonators, which are commonly described by coupled Lugiato-Lefever equations.

  • Item type:Article
    ID code:66348
    Dates:
    Date
    Event
    30 November 2018
    Published
    21 November 2018
    Accepted
    Subjects:Science > Physics > Optics. Light
    Department:Faculty of Science > Physics
    Depositing user: Pure Administrator
    Date deposited:12 Dec 2018 16:43
    Last modified:09 Apr 2024 00:26
    URI:https://strathprints.strath.ac.uk/id/eprint/66348
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