Topic: Spontaneous Symmetry Breaking and Optically Induced Nonreciprocity of Counterpropagating Light in Microresonators

Speaker: Pascal Del'Haye, National Physical Laboratory (NPL)

Time: August 29, at 10:00

Venue: F804, New Main Building

Abstract:

Ultra-high-Q microresonators can confine extremely large amounts of optical energy in tiny mode volumes. This talk will focus on recent realizations of nonlinear interaction of counterpropagating light in these resonators. Particularly, above a certain threshold power, light of a given frequency can only circulate in one direction. Experimental and theoretical results show spontaneous symmetry breaking that follows from the interaction of the counterpropagating light. The resulting nonreciprocity of the light propagation in the microresonators can be used for novel applications including integrated photonic isolators and circulators.

Biography of the Speaker:

Pascal Del'Haye received his PhD 2011 from the University of Munich and the Max Planck Institute of Quantum Optics for pioneering work on optical frequency comb generation in microresonators. After his PhD, Pascal spent 4 years at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) in Boulder CO, USA. Since 2015 he is leading the microphotonics research group at the UK's National Physical Laboratory (NPL) south-west of London. For his work on nonlinear photonics and optical frequency metrology, Pascal received several awards and prizes, including the Helmholtz prize for metrology, the EPS QEOD thesis prize and the EFTF Young Scientist Award.

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