Single-mode Laser by Parity-time Symmetry Breaking
Abstract
Effective manipulation of cavity resonant modes is crucial for emission control in laser physics and applications. Using the concept of parity-time symmetry to exploit the interplay between gain and loss (i.e., light amplification and absorption), we demonstrate a parity-time symmetry-breaking laser with resonant modes that can be controlled at will. In contrast to conventional ring cavity lasers with multiple competing modes, our parity-time microring laser exhibits intrinsic single-mode lasing regardless of the gain spectral bandwidth. Thresholdless parity-time symmetry breaking due to the rotationally symmetric structure leads to stable single-mode operation with the selective whispering-gallery mode order. Exploration of parity-time symmetry in laser physics may open a door to next-generation optoelectronic devices for optical communications and computing.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Nov 21, 2014
- Accession Number
- ADA627697
Entities
People
- Liang Feng
- Ren-min Ma
- Xiang Zhang
- Yuan Wang
- Zi J. Wong
Organizations
- University of California, Berkeley