Nanofiber-segment ring resonator
A fiber ring resonator having a relatively long loop of standard single-mode fiber with a short nanofiber segment. The evanescent mode of the nanofiber segment allows the cavity-enhanced field to interact with atoms in close proximity to the nanofiber surface.
1. A nanofiber-segment ring resonator (NFSRR) comprising a ring of fiber having an overall ring diameter and a core diameter, wherein the ring of fiber comprises at least one nanofiber segment, wherein the nanofiber segment has (i) a nanofiber length and (ii) a nanofiber core diameter that is less than half a resonance wavelength of a quantum emitter.
2. The NFSRR of claim 1 , wherein the nanofiber segment is tapered relative to the fiber.
3. The NFSRR of claim 1 , wherein the NFSRR is an all-fiber cavity free of mirrors, microtoroids, or other structures formed using lithographic techniques known in the art of semiconductor materials.
4. The NFSRR of claim 1 , wherein the NFSRR is positioned in proximity to a separate cavity device comprising mirrors, microtoroids, or other structures formed using lithographic techniques.
5. The NFSRR of claim 1 , wherein the NFSRR has a symmetrical or unsymmetrical closed loop shape selected from the group consisting of a circle, an oval, a rectangle with rounded corners, a triangle with rounded corners, and a polygon.
6. The NFSRR of claim 1 , wherein the at least one nanofiber segment is enclosed in a vacuum system.
7. The NFSRR of claim 6 , wherein the vacuum system comprises quantum emitters comprising atoms, molecules, ions, quantum dots, and any combination thereof.
8. The NFSRR of claim 6 , wherein the vacuum system comprises reactive alkali-metal vapors.
9. The NFSRR of claim 7 , wherein cavity resonance is tuned to match the resonance of the quantum emitters by adjusting the overall ring diameter.
10. The NFSRR of claim 1 , wherein a fiber coupler is used to couple light into and out of the NFSRR.
11. The NFSRR of claim 10 , wherein a coupling ratio of the fiber coupler is adjustable and is chosen to match an internal loss in the NFSRR.
12. An atom-cavity system comprising the NFSRR of claim 1 , wherein the ring of fiber defines a cavity, wherein interactions between a cavity-enhanced field and atoms in close proximity to the nanofiber segment results in nonlinear transmission.
13. The atom-cavity system of claim 12 , wherein the nanofiber segment is enclosed in a vacuum system.
14. The atom-cavity system of claim 12 , wherein the system is used in a low power, non-linear optic system, an all-optical switching system, or an all-optical logic system.
15. The atom-cavity system of claim 12 , wherein the nonlinear transmission occurs at low power levels.
16. The atom-cavity system of claim 12 , wherein a fiber coupler is used to couple light into and out of the NFSRR.
17. The atom-cavity system of claim 16 , wherein a coupling ratio of the fiber coupler is adjustable and is chosen to match an internal loss in the NFSRR.
18. The NFSRR of claim 1 , wherein when an evanescent field of the nanofiber segment interacts with quantum emitters, a nonlinear interaction occurs.