A photonic system enabling the processing of high frequency microwave, mm-wave, THz signals or other RF signals. The processing may include, e.g., adjusting the frequency, quadrature, and/or power of the signals. In illustrative examples, the system uses a polychromatic light source producing at least two low noise optical emission frequencies that can be independently tuned in a broad frequency range and/or modulated in a broad frequency range using external modulators. An RF input signal is upconverted to one of the optical harmonics of the modulated polychromatic source, processed in the optical frequency domain, and downconverted to the RF domain (at the same or a different RF carrier frequency). The photonic system can be integrated on a planar optical substrate, such as a photonic integrated circuit (PIC). Optical local oscillators are also described for use in the photonic system or for other purposes. Various system, device, and method examples are provided.

A high Q whispering gallery mode resonator with ion-implanted voids is described. A resonator device includes a resonator disk formed of an electrooptic material. The resonator disk includes a top surface, a bottom surface substantially parallel to the top surface, and a side structure between the top surface and the bottom surface. The side structure includes an axial surface along a perimeter of the resonator disk, where a midplane passes through the axial surface dividing the axial surface into symmetrical halves. The whispering gallery mode resonator disk includes voids localized at a particular depth from the top surface. At least one of the voids localized at the particular depth from the top surface is located at an outer extremity towards the perimeter of the resonator disk. The resonator device can further include a first electrode on the top surface and a second electrode on the bottom surface.

One feature pertains to an apparatus that includes apparatus that includes an evanescent field coupler having a first surface that evanescently couples light between the evanescent field coupler and an open dielectric resonator. The apparatus also includes a thin film coating covering at least a portion of the first surface of the evanescent field coupler. The thin film coating is specifically designed so that the thin film coating reflects light of a first wavelength.

An optical waveguide element includes: a cladding portion made of silica-based glass; and a plurality of optical waveguides positioned in the cladding portion and made of silica-based glass in which ZrO.sub.2 crystal particles are dispersed. The optical waveguide element is a planar lightwave circuit. The plurality of optical waveguides configure an arrayed waveguide grating element.

Based on graphene heterostructure in chip-scale silicon nitride microresonators, optoelectronic control and modulation in frequency combs via group velocity dispersion modulation can be demonstrated. By tuning graphene Fermi level from 0.50 eV to 0.65 eV via electric-field gating, deterministic in-cavity group velocity dispersion control from anomalous (−62 fs.sup.2/mm) to normal (+9 fs.sup.2/mm) can be achieved with Q factor remaining high at 10.sup.6. Consequently, both the primary comb lines and the full comb spectra can be controllable dynamically with the on/off switching of the Cherenkov radiation, the tuning of the primary comb lines from 2.3 THz to 7.2 THz, and the comb span control from zero comb lines to ˜781 phase-locked comb lines, directly via the DC voltage.

An optical device that includes means for thermal stabilization and control is described. The optical device can be a ring resonator, or another device that requires accurate control of the phase of the optical signal. In an example involving an optical resonator, a thermal stabilization system includes a temperature sensor, a control circuit, and a heater local to the resonator. The temperature sensor can be a bandgap temperature sensor formed of a pair of matched p/n junctions biased in operation at different junction currents.

The invention relates to a method and a system of mechanical resonance transduction for analyte analysis, suitable for its use in the identification of nanoparticles in the range between 1 MHz and 300 GHz, said method being characterized in that it comprises the following steps: a) disposing at least one analyte, possessing at least one mechanical vibration mode, on at least one mechanical resonator sensor that possesses at least one mechanical vibration mode, selectable in a plurality of working frequencies; b) monitoring the mechanical spectra of the of the analyte and the resonator sensor; c) varying the at least one mechanical vibration mode until at least one mechanical vibration mode reaches a strong coupling situation with the at least one mechanical vibration mode; d) collecting the frequency data at which the strong coupling occurs; e) estimating the resonance frequency and quality factor of the at least one mechanical vibration mode from the strong coupling frequency data obtained in step d).

A whispering gallery mode resonator and a manufacturing method includes a hollow core fiber, a waveguide, a waveguide resonant cavity, a first single-mode fiber and a second single-mode fiber. The waveguide and the waveguide resonant cavity are located in the hollow core fiber. End surface of the first and second single-mode fibers are fused to end surfaces of the hollow core fiber. The waveguide includes an input optical waveguide, an inner surface waveguide having an evanescent field and an output optical waveguide. The two end surfaces of the input optical waveguide are connected with an end surface of the core of the first single-mode fiber and an end surface of the inner surface waveguide respectively. The two end surfaces of the output optical waveguide are connected with an end surface of the core of the second single-mode fiber and the other end surface of the inner surface waveguide respectively.

A high Q whispering gallery mode resonator with ion-implanted voids is described. A resonator device includes a resonator disk formed of an electrooptic material. The resonator disk includes a top surface, a bottom surface substantially parallel to the top surface, and a side structure between the top surface and the bottom surface. The side structure includes an axial surface along a perimeter of the resonator disk, where a midplane passes through the axial surface dividing the axial surface into symmetrical halves. The whispering gallery mode resonator disk includes voids localized at a particular depth from the top surface. At least one of the voids localized at the particular depth from the top surface is located at an outer extremity towards the perimeter of the resonator disk. The resonator device can further include a first electrode on the top surface and a second electrode on the bottom surface.

A whispering gallery mode resonator and a manufacturing method includes a hollow core fiber, a waveguide, a waveguide resonant cavity, a first single-mode fiber and a second single-mode fiber. The waveguide and the waveguide resonant cavity are located in the hollow core fiber. End surface of the first and second single-mode fibers are fused to end surfaces of the hollow core fiber. The waveguide includes an input optical waveguide, an inner surface waveguide having an evanescent field and an output optical waveguide. The two end surfaces of the input optical waveguide are connected with an end surface of the core of the first single-mode fiber and an end surface of the inner surface waveguide respectively. The two end surfaces of the output optical waveguide are connected with an end surface of the core of the second single-mode fiber and the other end surface of the inner surface waveguide respectively.