TY - JOUR
T1 - A Nonlinear Microresonator Refractive Index Sensor
AU - Wang, Chao
AU - Search, Christopher P.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2015 IEEE.
PY - 2015/10/15
Y1 - 2015/10/15
N2 - We propose an ultrasensitive refractive index (RI) sensor based on the nonlinear index of refraction in a microring resonator coupled to waveguides in an add-drop configuration. The nonreciprocity caused by the difference between the nonlinear self-phase and cross-phase modulation leads to a bifurcation of the optical intensities for two counterpropagating modes. The magnitude of the splitting depends sensitively on the resonance frequency of the resonator, and hence, the effective index of refraction. This nonlinear system is up to two orders of magnitude more sensitive to RI changes than the theoretical sensitivity of a linear microresonator RI sensor. We discuss potential material implementations of the microresonator and the detection limit for these materials.
AB - We propose an ultrasensitive refractive index (RI) sensor based on the nonlinear index of refraction in a microring resonator coupled to waveguides in an add-drop configuration. The nonreciprocity caused by the difference between the nonlinear self-phase and cross-phase modulation leads to a bifurcation of the optical intensities for two counterpropagating modes. The magnitude of the splitting depends sensitively on the resonance frequency of the resonator, and hence, the effective index of refraction. This nonlinear system is up to two orders of magnitude more sensitive to RI changes than the theoretical sensitivity of a linear microresonator RI sensor. We discuss potential material implementations of the microresonator and the detection limit for these materials.
KW - integrated optics
KW - nonlinear optics
KW - optical resonators
KW - refractive index
KW - sensors
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84941905923&partnerID=8YFLogxK
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U2 - 10.1109/JLT.2015.2464105
DO - 10.1109/JLT.2015.2464105
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:84941905923
SN - 0733-8724
VL - 33
SP - 4360
EP - 4366
JO - Journal of Lightwave Technology
JF - Journal of Lightwave Technology
IS - 20
M1 - 7177043
ER -