Designs toward synchronization of optical limit cycles with coupled silicon photonic crystal microcavities

TL;DR

This paper proposes a novel silicon photonic device that enables synchronized optical limit cycle oscillations in coupled microcavities, demonstrated through theoretical simulations and compatible with current fabrication processes.

Contribution

The paper introduces a new design for coupled silicon photonic microcavities that achieve synchronized limit cycle oscillations via coherent coupling, supported by theoretical modeling.

Findings

Mutual synchronization of limit cycles demonstrated through coupled-mode equations

Phase description framework applied to interpret synchronization

Design compatible with existing silicon photonics fabrication processes

Abstract

A driven high-Q Si microcavity is known to exhibit limit cycle oscillation originating from carrier-induced and thermo-optic nonlinearities. We propose a novel nanophotonic device to realize synchronized optical limit cycle oscillations with coupled silicon (Si) photonic crystal (PhC) microcavities. Here, coupled limit cycle oscillators are realized by using coherently coupled Si PhC microcavities. By simulating coupled-mode equations, we theoretically demonstrate mutual synchronization (entrainment) of two limit cycles induced by coherent coupling. Furthermore, we interpret the numerically simulated synchronization in the framework of phase description. Since our proposed design is perfectly compatible with current silicon photonics fabrication processes, the synchronization of optical limit cycle oscillations will be implemented in future silicon photonic circuits.