Optical device, system, and method of generating high angular momentum beams

An optical device comprising:

• an optical resonator configured to support whispering gallery modes and having a resonator radius measured perpendicularly from a longitudinal axis of the optical device to a surface of the optical resonator;
• and
• a fiber rod having a first end and a second end, the first end being integrally formed with the optical resonator along the longitudinal axis of the optical device;
• wherein an outer surface of the optical device is cylindrically symmetric along the longitudinal axis, whereby a radius as measured from the longitudinal axis to the surface of the optical device at the first end of the fiber rod is smaller than the resonator radius and the radius of the fiber rod increases at least along a portion of a length of the fiber rod in a direction from the first end to the second end.

A method of generating optical beams having high angular momenta comprising:

• coupling electromagnetic waves into a whispering gallery mode resonator defining a resonator radius to excite the modes of the whispering gallery mode resonator;
• propagating the modes of the whispering gallery mode resonator into a tapered waveguide integrally formed with the resonator, the tapered waveguide having a radius at a tapered end that is smaller than the radius of the whispering gallery mode resonator;
• propagating the modes through the tapered waveguide and transforming the modes into optical beams having high angular momenta;
• and
• emitting the optical beams having high angular momenta from an opposite end of the tapered waveguide.