Abstract
A driven high-Q Si microcavity is known to exhibit limit cycle oscillation originating from carrier-induced and thermo-optic nonlinearities. We propose a novel nanophotonic device to realize synchronized optical limit cycle oscillations with coupled silicon (Si) photonic crystal (PhC) microcavities. Here, coupled limit cycle oscillators are realized by using coherently coupled Si PhC microcavities. By simulating coupled-mode equations, we theoretically demonstrate mutual synchronization (entrainment) of two limit cycles induced by coherent coupling. Furthermore, we interpret the numerically simulated synchronization in the framework of phase description. Since our proposed design is perfectly compatible with current silicon photonics fabrication processes, the synchronization of optical limit cycle oscillations will be implemented in future silicon photonic circuits.
Highlights
INTRODUCTIONSynchronization is a universally observed phenomenon in nature [1]. the observation of synchronization has a long history, which may go back to the 17th century with Huygens’s discovery of synchronization of two pendulum clocks
We propose a novel nanophotonic system with standard silicon (Si) photonic crystal (PhC) technologies that realizes synchronization of optical limit cycles
In our previous paper [20], we experimentally investigated the detailed properties of stochastic limit cycle oscillation in a single driven high-Q Si PhC microcavity
Summary
Synchronization is a universally observed phenomenon in nature [1]. the observation of synchronization has a long history, which may go back to the 17th century with Huygens’s discovery of synchronization of two pendulum clocks. The phase description was found to be a powerful tool for understanding single limit cycle dynamics and synchronization phenomena. For an intuitive understanding of mutual synchronization (entrainment) of coupled limit cycles, phase description provides a powerful tool called the phase coupling function. Synchronization has been demonstrated with coupled lasers, microcavity polaritons, optomechanical oscillators, and trapped ions [9–18]. In our previous paper [20], we experimentally investigated the detailed properties of stochastic limit cycle oscillation (self-pulsing) in a single driven high-Q Si PhC microcavity. Employing the enhanced carrier-induced and thermo-optic nonlinearities in high-Q PhC cavities, optical bistability [25–29], limit cycle oscillation [30–32], and excitability [31, 32] were demonstrated. Recently, coupled PhC cavities has been actively investigated to realize, for instance, slow-light [33], Fano resonance [34, 35], unconventional photon blockade [36], and self-pulsing coupled nanolasers [37–39]. An array of Si PhC cavities will work as a one-dimensional nearest-neighbor coupled Kuramoto model
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