Whispering Gallery Mode Resonators Research Articles

Optical whispering gallery mode resonators: analysing thermo-optic tuning in a silicon sphere

ABSTRACT In this work, we discuss and experimentally investigate the whispering gallery modes (WGMs) in a 500 μm radius silicon sphere. We begin by reviewing the basics of WGM resonators, followed by simulations and experimental results obtained with the aforementioned silicon spherical WGM resonator. The recorded WGM signatures in the transmission and scattering spectra excited, in the near-infrared (near-IR) region, agree well with the simulations. Thermo-optic tuning of these WGMs is achieved by introducing a pump laser in the violet-blue region. Red-shifts in wavelength are observed, which increase with the increase in the pump power. A shift of 0.63 nm is observed at a pump power of 6.32 mW. We also study switching by analysing the transient response of the WGM spectra. The measured WGMs exhibit high quality factors ( Q ∼ 10 5 ), which along with the aforesaid tunability, demonstrates the potential of spherical silicon resonator as a platform for photonic applications, e.g. sensing and communication. In summary, this work contributes towards the understanding of the fundamental physics of WGMs and provides insights into silicon WGM resonators.

Suspended whispering gallery mode resonators made of different polymers and fabricated using drop-on-demand inkjet printing for gas sensing applications

Investigation of drop-on-demand inkjet printing as a fabrication method for an optical gas sensor reveals its potential to incorporate multiple sensing materials on a single microchip. Through this additive method, three distinct polymers—SU-8, polystyrene (PS), and polyhexamethylene biguanide (PHMB)—were deposited onto a silicon substrate and suspended, allowing the polymer microdroplets to expand freely. The coupling to these whispering gallery mode resonators with a tapered optical fiber allows measuring high quality factors exceeding 106. The gas sensing capabilities of all three polymers were studied for three different gases: isopropanol, water, and carbon dioxide. Sensitivities of up to 0.25pm/ppmv and limits of detection as low as 14ppmv were achieved.

Localization and Orientation of Dye Molecules at the Surface of a Levitated Microdroplet in Air Revealed by Whispering Gallery Mode Resonances.

Microdroplets offer unique environments that accelerate chemical reactions; however, the mechanisms behind these processes remain debated. The localization and orientation of solute molecules near the droplet surface have been proposed as factors for this acceleration. Since significant reaction acceleration has been observed for electrospray- and sonic-spray-generated aerosol droplets, the analysis of microdroplets in air has become essential. Here, we utilized whispering gallery mode (WGM) resonances to investigate the localization and orientation of dissolved rhodamine B (RhB) in a levitated microdroplet (∼3 μm in diameter) in air. Fluorescence enhancement upon resonance with the WGMs revealed the localization and orientation of RhB near the droplet surface. Numerical modeling using Mie theory quantified the RhB orientation at 68° to the surface normal, with a small fraction randomly oriented inside the droplet. Additionally, low RhB concentrations increased surface localization. These results support the significance of surface reactions in the acceleration of microdroplet reactions.

Facile Wet‐Process to Free‐Standing Whispering Gallery Mode Resonators Mixed with Spherical Silica Gel and π‐Conjugated Molecules

Facile Wet‐Process to Free‐Standing Whispering Gallery Mode Resonators Mixed with Spherical Silica Gel and π‐Conjugated Molecules

Coupling package and WGM resonator filled with Terfenol-D for magnetic field sensing and tuning

In this work, we proposed a whispering gallery mode (WGM) resonator filled with Terfenol-D (WGMRFT), which could be applied to magnetic field sensing and tuning. We used a hollow quartz rod to fabricate the resonator, and then filled it with Terfenol-D to create a magnetic field-sensitive device. The WGM of the resonator were excited using a tapered fiber evanescent field. As the external magnetic field increased, the WGM resonant spectrum of the resonator shifted toward the short wavelength direction. The sensitivity of the resonator is −3.05 pm/mT. The structure has many advantages, such as simple structure, low cost and easy operation. In addition, we have demonstrated a resonator coupling and packaging device, using this device to adjust the coupling state of the resonator within a certain range. The package demonstrated good repeatability and reversibility in magnetic field measurement experiments. This lays the foundation for the application of millimeter-scale large WGM resonators.

The Impact of the Gain Medium Properties and the Resonator Morphology on the Whispering Gallery Mode Spectrum of Polystyrene Microspheres Coated with AgInS2/ZnS Quantum Dots

The modulation of fluorophore emission by whispering gallery modes (WGMs) in active spherical resonators holds great potential for advanced photonic devices. In the present work, we fabricate and systematically study a series of active WGM resonators based on polystyrene microspheres and heavy metal-free ternary AgInS2/ZnS quantum dots with broad and tunable photoluminescence bands coated on their surface as a gain medium. The variation in the mean size and emission wavelength of the quantum dots allowed us to establish a correlation between their characteristics and the WGM properties, including the resonance peaks intensity profile and the Q-factors. Other aspects such as coupling efficiency, polarization-dependent mode damping, and peak broadening are also discussed. Furthermore, we applied statistical analysis on multiple individual resonators within the batch to calculate the standard deviation of the resonator size and ellipticity. Our study highlights that both the cavity and the gain medium influence the WGM parameters in active spherical resonators.

Enhanced terahertz vibrational absorption spectroscopy using an integrated high-Q resonator

The terahertz (THz) absorption spectrum is a powerful method to identify substances. The improvement focuses on sensitivity and recovery ability. Here, we demonstrate enhanced THz vibrational absorption spectroscopy based on an on-chip THz whispering gallery mode resonator (THz-WGMR). A THz-WGMR with high Q can store energy and enhance the interaction between the THz waves and the target substances to capture the unique absorption fingerprint information. Therefore, it possesses significant sensitivity to identify trace amounts of substances. As a proof of concept, lactose powder and glucose powder are applied to demonstrate the effectiveness of our approach in recovering fingerprint absorption spectroscopy. Compared with a straight waveguide, the high sensitivity of the THz-WGMR is illustrated. The change of the transmissivity caused by the lactose reaches 7.8 dB around 532 GHz for the THz-WGMR, while only 1.4 dB for the straight waveguide, demonstrating the state-of-the-art sensing performance in fingerprint absorption recovery. We believe the proposed integrated THz-WGMR will promote the THz identification of tiny fingerprint substances.

Thermo-Optoplasmonic Single-Molecule Sensing on Optical Microcavities.

Whispering-gallery-mode (WGM) resonators are powerful instruments for single-molecule sensing in biological and biochemical investigations. WGM sensors leveraged by plasmonic nanostructures, known as optoplasmonic sensors, provide sensitivity down to single atomic ions. In this article, we describe that the response of optoplasmonic sensors upon the attachment of single protein molecules strongly depends on the intensity of WGM. At low intensity, protein binding causes red shifts of WGM resonance wavelengths, known as the reactive sensing mechanism. By contrast, blue shifts are obtained at high intensities, which we explain as thermo-optoplasmonic (TOP) sensing, where molecules transform absorbed WGM radiation into heat. To support our conclusions, we experimentally investigated seven molecules and complexes; we observed blue shifts for dye molecules, amino acids, and anomalous absorption of enzymes in the near-infrared spectral region. As an example of an application, we propose a physical model of TOP sensing that can be used for the development of single-molecule absorption spectrometers.

Highly Sensitive Force Sensor Based on High-Q Asymmetric V-Shaped CaF2 Resonator.

Whispering gallery mode (WGM) resonators have high-quality factors and can be used in high-sensitivity sensors due to the narrow line width that allows for the detection of small external changes. In this paper, a force-sensing system based on a high-Q asymmetric V-shaped CaF2 resonator is proposed. Based on the dispersion coupling mechanism, the deformation of the resonator is achieved by loading force, and the resonant frequency is changed to determine the measurement. By adjusting the structural parameters of the asymmetric V-shaped resonator, the deformation of the resonator under force loading is improved. The experimental results show that the sensitivity of the V-shaped tip is 18.84 V/N, which determines the force-sensing resolution of 8.49 μN. This work provides a solution for force-sensing measurements based on a WGM resonator.

Carbon Dot-Decorated Polystyrene Microspheres for Whispering-Gallery Mode Biosensing

Whispering gallery mode (WGM) resonators doped with fluorescent materials find impressive applications in biological sensing. They do not require special conditions for the excitation of WGM inside that provide the basis for in vivo sensing. Currently, the problem of materials for in vivo WGM sensors are substantial since their fluorescence should have stable optical properties as well as they should be biocompatible. To address this we present WGM microresonators of 5–7 μm, where the dopant is made of carbon quantum dots (CDs). CDs are biocompatible since they are produced from carbon and demonstrate bright optical emission, which shows different bands depending on the excitation wavelength. The WGM sensors developed here were tested as label-free biosensors by detecting bovine serum albumin molecules. The results showed WGM frequency shifting, with the limit of detection down to 10−16 M level.

A Wearable Thin-Film Hydrogel Laser for Functional Sensing on Skin.

Flexible photonics offers the possibility of realizing wearable sensors by bridging the advantages of flexible materials and photonic sensing elements. Recently, optical resonators have emerged as a tool to improve their oversensitivity by integrating with flexible photonic sensors. However, direct monitoring of multiple psychological information on human skin remains challenging due to the subtle biological signals and complex tissue interface. To tackle the current challenges, here, we developed a functional thin film laser formed by encapsulating liquid crystal droplet lasers in a flexible hydrogel for monitoring metabolites in human sweat (lactate, glucose, and urea). The three-dimensional cross-linked hydrophilic polymer serves as the adhesive layer to allow small molecules to penetrate from human tissue to generate strong light--matter interactions on the interface of whispering gallery modes resonators. Both the hydrogel and cholesteric liquid crystal microdroplets were modified specifically to achieve high sensitivity and selectivity. As a proof of concept, wavelength-multiplexed sensing and a prototype were demonstrated on human skin to detect human metabolites from perspiration. These results present a significant advance in the fabrication and potential guidance for wearable and functional microlasers in healthcare.

Phosphate Glass Microspheres with Silver Nanoparticles for Whispering Gallery Mode Resonators.

Glass microspheres have gained significant attention over the years in the field of photonics due to their application in whispering gallery mode (WGM) microresonator platforms. However, the synthesis of glass spheres in the micro regime remains challenging, while it relies mostly on complicated synthetic methods or sol-gel chemistry. Herein, we demonstrate the controlled formation of phosphate glass microspheres by means of a simple, fast, low-temperature, post-glass melting thermal treatment of previously quenched glass. Moreover, we report on the simultaneous formation of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) on the surface of glass spheres upon the same treatment. The formation of metal nanoparticles onto the glass spheres induces attractive optical and plasmonic properties, believed to be suitable for WGM resonator-based applications, as well as a wide range of optoelectronic, photonic, and sensing applications.

Packaging of WGM resonator coupled with tapered fiber for various application scenarios

In this study, we proposed a packaging that couples light from a tapered fiber to a whispering gallery mode resonator. The packaging is suitable for a wide range of resonators, such as quartz rods and crystal microdisks. The device uses a self-designed brass base with a special flexible structure to realize the three-dimensional precision adjustment of the relative position of the resonator and the tapered fiber. This structural is different from the packaging proposed in previous studies. It can adjust the coupling state of the resonator by adjusting the relative position between the resonator and the tapered fiber. We demonstrated the coupling process using a crystal resonator as an example and demonstrated three typical coupling states of the WGM system. The packaging also has the advantages of high stability, small size, low cost, and high portability. In addition, we tested the long-term robustness of the packaging and verified the application of the packaging for magnetic field sensing and temperature tuning.

Multiple Fano resonances by MIM waveguide coupling whispering gallery mode resonator and application in Refractive index sensing

In this study, a baffled metal–insulator–metal (MIM) waveguide coupled with a whispering gallery mode resonator (WGMR) is proposed. This structure could excite quadruple Fano resonances. The asymmetric Fano resonance transmittance spectrum and the electric field at the resonance peak were numerically simulated using the finite difference time domain method. The obtained data were fitted using the multimode interference coupled mode theory. The number of Fano resonance peaks was tuned by the outer radius of the WGMR. With other geometric parameters unchanged, the number of Fano resonance peaks increased with increasing outer radius of the WGMR. Thus, it achieved multiple Fano resonances by adjusting solely the radius of the WGMR. When the ring width was fixed, the structure could excite multiple Fano resonances within a certain outer radius range. This structure was used for refractive index sensing and its sensitivity and figure of merit (FOM) were 3004 nm/RIU and 3.14 × 104 in a gas environment, respectively. Therefore, the proposed structure can excite multiple Fano resonances and achieve high sensitivity and FOM, providing a theoretical basis for micro and nano applications.

Observing Variation in Whispering Gallery Mode Resonance of a Trapped and Levitated Dye Doped Microdrop.

Whispering gallery mode (WGM) resonance was created in a spherical micro drop. A gradual shift in the resonance were observed. For a 600 nm droplet radius, the blue shift were 1.5, 0.7, 3.7 nm. It was estimated that such a shift corresponds to a reduction in optical radius of the droplet by 1.3, 0.6, 3.3 nm respectively. The droplet was created from a solution of glycerol, methanol and rhodamine 6G dye, and was trapped and levitated in a modified Paul trap. The WGMs were created by optically exciting the dye material from an external 532 nm cw laser beam. A shift in the WGM was observed during a gradual increase in power of the excitation laser, and a reason for such a shift was thought to be thermal evaporation of the liquid. For a larger droplet an initial 0.1 nm thermal expansion was also estimated, preceding the volume contraction. Such an expansion was negligible for a smaller droplet. The rate of change of the blue shift depends upon initial radius of the droplet. For the smaller droplet the estimated rate of change of WGM with a change in optical radius, was 0.771. For larger droplet, this rate is lower.

Bioinspired Carbonized Polymer Microspheres for Full-Color Whispering Gallery Mode Emission for White Light Emission, Unclonable Anticounterfeiting, and Chemical Sensing Applications.

Light-element-based fluorescent materials, colloidal graphene quantum dots, and carbon dots (CDs) have sparked an immense amount of scientific interest in the past decade. However, a significant challenge in practical applications has emerged concerning the development of solid-state fluorescence (SSF) materials. This study addresses this knowledge gap by exploring the unexplored photonic facets of C-based solid-state microphotonic emitters. The proposed synthesis approach focuses on carbonized polymer microspheres (CPMs) instead of conventional nanodots. These microspheres exhibit remarkable SSF spanning the entire visible spectrum from blue to red. The highly spherical shape of CPMs imparts built-in photonic properties in addition to its intrinsic CD-based attributes. Leveraging their excitation-dependent photoluminescence property, these microspheres exhibit amplified spontaneous emission, assisted by the whispering gallery mode resonance across the visible spectral region. Remarkably, unlike conventional semiconductor quantum dots or dye-doped microresonators, this single microstructure showcases adaptable resonant emission without structural/chemical modifications. This distinctive attribute enables a plethora of applications, including microcavity-assisted energy transfer for white light emission, highly sensitive chemical sensing, and secure encrypted anticounterfeiting measures. This interdisciplinary approach, integrating photonics and chemistry, provides a robust solution for light-element-based SSF with inherent photonic functionality and wide-ranging applications.

In-Fiber Liquid Microsphere Whispering Gallery Mode Resonator Fabricated by Femtosecond Laser

In-Fiber Liquid Microsphere Whispering Gallery Mode Resonator Fabricated by Femtosecond Laser

Compact high-Q Ka-band sapphire distributed Bragg resonator

In a class of high quality (Q-) factor dielectric resonators with low radiative losses, including popular whispering-gallery mode (WGM) resonators with high azimuthal mode numbers, due to high confinement of modal field in dielectric, the Q-factor is limited by the value of inverse dielectric loss tangent of dielectric material. Metal enclosures necessary for device integration only marginally affect the Q-factor while eliminating the residual radiative loss and allowing the optimization of input and output coupling. While very high Q-factors ∼200000 are available in sapphire WGM resonators in X-band, at millimeter wave frequencies increasing dielectric loss limits the Q-factor to much smaller values, e.g. ∼50000 and ∼25000 for quasi-TE and quasi-TM modes, correspondingly, at 36 GHz. The use of distributed Bragg reflection (DBR) principle allows to push modal energy outside dielectric while also isolating it from Joule losses in metallic enclosure walls. Very high Q∼600000>tgδ has been demonstrated in X-band [C. A. Flory and R. C. Taber, IEEE Trans. Ultrason., Ferroelectr., Freq. Control 44, 486–495 (1997).] at the expense of impractically large dimensions. In this work, we report on the assembly and testing of a compact Ka-band sapphire distributed Bragg reflector cavity characterized with Q-factor seven times larger than one predicted by the material’s dielectric loss at the frequency of interest. An intrinsic Q-factor of ∼200000 is demonstrated at 36 GHz for the lowest order TM-mode of a sapphire DBR. The resonator has 50 cm3 volume, smaller than previously demonstrated DBRs.

Modelling of Whispering Gallery Mode Resonators for Dielectric Measurement Applications

This study presents a method for measuring the permittivity of dielectric materials using a whispering gallery mode ring resonator. By detecting changes in coupling resulting from variations in resonant frequency caused by alterations in dielectric constant, the method offers a reliable means of characterizing dielectric properties. Operating within the 5-6 GHz frequency range, the presented resonator design leverages printed circuit board (PCB) technology and FR4 substrate material for cost-effective fabrication and flexibility in design. Through comprehensive electromagnetic simulations using ANSYS HFSS software, the study optimizes resonator parameters to enhance sensitivity and effectiveness for various applications. Experimental validation demonstrates exceptional coupling efficiency and sensitivity, underscoring the potential of whispering gallery mode resonators for environmental monitoring, chemical sensing, telecommunications, and biomedical diagnostics. This research contributes to advancing sensing technology, offering valuable insights into the design and optimization of whispering gallery mode resonators for practical use. Further exploration is warranted to fully realize their potential across diverse applications and operating conditions.

Underwater Low-Frequency Acoustic Wave Detection Based on a High-Q CaF2 Resonator

Whispering gallery mode (WGM) resonators with an ultra-high quality (Q) factor provide a new idea for high-precision underwater acoustic sensing. However, acoustic energy loss due to watertight encapsulation has become an urgent problem for its underwater application. In order to solve this problem, this paper proposes a hollowed-out array structure. The finite element simulation shows that the acoustic wave transmission loss is improved by 30 dB compared with that of the flat plate encapsulation structure. Using a calcium fluoride (CaF2) resonator with a Q factor of 1.2 × 108 as an acoustic sensitive unit, the amplitude and frequency of the loaded acoustic wave are retrieved by means of the dispersion coupling response mechanism. The resonator’s underwater experimental test range is 100 Hz–1 kHz, its acoustic sensing sensitivity level reaches −176.3 dB re 1 V/µPa @ 300 Hz, and its minimum detectable pressure can be up to 0.87 mPa/Hz1/2, which corresponds to a noise-equivalent pressure (NEP) of up to 58 dB re 1 µPa/Hz1/2.