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Mlcrolasers based on silica microspheres

Microlasers àbase de microsphères de silice

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Abstract

Light can be confined efficiently in the high-Q, small-volume whispering-gallery-modes observed in silica microspheres. By coupling these microspheres to eroded optical fibers and fiber tips, direct mapping of the whispering-gallery modes has been achieved and the mode numbers have been assessed. The properties of these modes have allowed us to obtain laser action with very low thresholds in Nd-doped silica microspheres. Further projects in the field of non-linear optics and cavity quantum electrodynamics are described.

Résumé

Les modes de galerie de haute surtension observés dans des microsphéres de silice permettent de confiner efficacement la lumière. Ces modes sont excités avec des coupleurs à fibre érodée pour les cartographier avec des pointes de fibre et déterminer les nombres propres qui caractérisent un mode donné. Les propriétés des modes de galerie ont permis d‘2obtenir I’effet laser dans des microsphéres de silice dopées au néodyme, avec un seuil de fonctionnement trés has. Les projets développés dans le domaine de I’optique non linéaire et de I’électrodynamique quantique en cavité sont décrits.

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Treussart, F., Dubreuil, N., Knight, J.C. et al. Mlcrolasers based on silica microspheres. Ann. Télécommun. 52, 557–568 (1997). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02997612

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