Planar photonic resonant motor

A photonic motor comprising:

• at least one optical radiation input;
• a first optical waveguide arrangement, comprising a plurality of first optical resonators to form a static part of said photonic motor in a predetermined coordinate reference system of the photonic motor;
• an excitation optical waveguide arrangement coupled to said first optical waveguide arrangement at a predetermined optical mode coupling distance to at least one first optical resonator of the plurality of first optical resonators and configured to receive at least one optical radiation of predetermined wavelength from said at least one optical radiation input and to optically couple said at least one optical radiation to said at least one first optical resonator of the plurality of first optical resonators;
• at least a second optical waveguide arrangement, comprising at least one second optical resonator configured to move with respect to said first optical waveguide arrangement according to at least one predefined direction of movement, so as to form a moving part of said photonic motor in the predetermined coordinate reference system of the photonic motor,
• wherein said first optical waveguide arrangement and said second optical waveguide arrangement respectively lie in a first region of space and a second region of space of a common plane, mutually separated by a predetermined lateral coupling distance, and the second optical waveguide arrangement is configured to move in said second region of space,
• wherein said predetermined lateral coupling distance is adapted to establish an evanescent-wave coupling of optical modes between at least one first optical resonator of said first optical waveguide arrangement and the at least one second optical resonator of said second optical waveguide arrangement, in a proximity condition of said first optical resonator and second optical resonator in the common plane as a result of a local motion of said second optical waveguide arrangement in the second region of space,
• wherein said first optical resonator and second optical resonator are adapted to guide one fundamental resonant symmetric mode at a predetermined first wavelength and one fundamental resonant anti-symmetric mode at a predetermined second wavelength, as a function of said predetermined lateral coupling distance, and of a distance between said first optical resonator and second optical resonator on the common plane,
• wherein, when the fundamental resonant symmetric mode is selectively established, an attractive condition of said second optical resonator towards said first optical resonator is created, which generates, in said second region of space on said common plane, a motion of approach of the second optical resonator towards the first optical resonator according to a predefined local direction of movement, and, when the fundamental resonant anti-symmetric mode is selectively established, a repulsion condition of said second optical resonator from said first optical resonator is created, which generates in the second region of space on said common plane a motion of departure of the second optical resonator from the first optical resonator according to a predefined local direction of movement,
• the photonic motor further comprising control means adapted to control at least one parameter of the at least one optical radiation from said at least one optical radiation input so as to selectively establish said fundamental resonant symmetric and anti-symmetric modes,
• wherein said control means are configured to control synchronously a wavelength of the at least one optical radiation from said at least one optical radiation input so as to switch selectively from the fundamental resonant symmetric mode to the fundamental resonant anti-symmetric mode when said at least one second optical resonator along said predefined local direction of movement in the second region of space of said common plane is near a condition of maximum proximity, or near said predetermined lateral coupling distance with respect to a first optical resonator in the first region of space of said common plane.