Microbubble optical resonator
AssigneeOFS Fitel, LLC
InventorMikhail Sumetsky
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Abstract
An optical microresonator is configured as an optical microbubble formed along a section of an optical microcapillary. The curvature of the outer surface of the microbubble creates an optical resonator with a geometry that encourages the circulating WGMs to remain confined in the central region of the bubble, creating a high Q optical resonator. The resonator may be tuned by modifying the physical properties of the microbubble, allowing the resonator to be used as an optical filter. The resonator may also be used as a sensor or laser by introducing the material to be sensed (or the active laser material) into the microcapillary along which the microbubble is formed.
Claims9
A method of fabricating an optical microbubble resonator, the method comprising the steps of:
- providing an optical microcapillary tube of an optically transparent material;
- heating a localized region of the optical microcapillary tube;
- modifying the air pressure within the heated, localized region;
- and
- deforming the localized region to create an outwardly-curving outer surface defining an optical microbubble for use as an optical microbubble resonator.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.