MSE Seminar: “Opportunities in Whispering-Gallery Microresonators: Fundamentals and Applications”
September 26 at 10:30 AM - 12:30 PM
Light-matter interactions form the fundamental basis for numerous phenomena and processes in optical devices. This talk will cover ultra-high-quality (Q) whispering-gallery-mode (WGM) optical microresonators which have an unprecedented capability to trap light in a highly confined volume smaller than a strand of human hair. Light-matter interactions are significantly enhanced in high-quality WGM resonators, creating the potential for a wealth of new scientific discoveries and technological breakthroughs. High-Q microresonators and microlasers provide excellent platforms for both fundamental science and engineering applications; the choices of materials for the photonic resonators enable various opportunities for different applications. This talk will start with the introduction of diverse sensing mechanisms and strategies developed around high-Q microresonators. It will include discussions on ultra-sensitive self-referencing detection and sizing of nanoparticles, including single virions. Various strategies, such as mechanical solitons through optomechanical effects in a microtoroid resonator, a barcode technology based on collective behaviors of multiple resonances, and AI-enhanced target classification, will be introduced for sensing applications with resonators. Furthermore, our recent exploration of fundamental physics, such as non-Hermitian physics in high-Q WGM resonators, have unraveled innovative strategies to achieve a new generation of optical systems enabling unconventional control of light flow. Examples including nonreciprocity in a parity-time (PT)-symmetry resonator system, loss engineering in a lasing system, directional lasing emission at an exceptional point (EP), and EP-enhanced sensing will be presented. To conclude, the applications of resonators in photonic integrated circuits (PIC) will be discussed. Our research discoveries just represent a glimpse of the potential of photonic resonators; there are still many exciting opportunities by leveraging the enhanced light-matter interactions through resonant effects in the future.
Lan Yang
Professor, Electrical and Systems Engineering, Washington University
Lan Yang is the Edwin H. and Florence G. Skinner professor in the Electrical and Systems Engineering Department at Washington University in St. Louis, USA. She is also the editor-in-chief of Photonics Research. She received her M.S. in materials science in 2000 and Ph.D. in applied physics at Caltech in 2005. She enjoys investigating physics in photonic resonators and exploring their diverse applications, including communication, quantum technologies, sensing, spectroscopy, and imaging, etc. Her research in parity-time-symmetry and non-Hermitian physics in resonators has led to a series of discoveries for unconventional control of light transport in photonic structures. She received the NSF CAREER Award in 2010 for her work on nanoparticle detection and sizing using on-chip optical resonators. She also received the 2010 Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE). She is a Fellow of Optica, the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), the American Physical Society (APS), the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), and the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE). She co-founded DeepSight™ Technology, a MedTech company focused on developing innovative diagnostic and therapeutic tools and systems to improve the treatment of numerous diseases at various stages, and has served as the Chief Technology Officer since 2019.