Project description:Kerr-effect-induced changes of the polarization state of light are well known in pulsed laser systems. An example is nonlinear polarization rotation, which is critical to the operation of many types of mode-locked lasers. Here, we demonstrate that the Kerr effect in a high-finesse Fabry-Pérot resonator can be utilized to control the polarization of a continuous wave laser. It is shown that a linearly-polarized input field is converted into a left- or right-circularly-polarized field, controlled via the optical power. The observations are explained by Kerr-nonlinearity induced symmetry breaking, which splits the resonance frequencies of degenerate modes with opposite polarization handedness in an otherwise symmetric resonator. The all-optical polarization control is demonstrated at threshold powers down to 7 mW. The physical principle of such Kerr effect-based polarization controllers is generic to high-Q Kerr-nonlinear resonators and could also be implemented in photonic integrated circuits. Beyond polarization control, the spontaneous symmetry breaking of polarization states could be used for polarization filters or highly sensitive polarization sensors when operating close to the symmetry-breaking point.
Project description:Kerr resonators support novel nonlinear wave phenomena including technologically important optical solitons. Fiber Kerr resonator solitons enable wavelength and repetition-rate versatile femtosecond-pulse and frequency-comb generation. However, key performance parameters, such as pulse duration, lag behind those from traditional mode-locked laser-based sources. Here we present new pulse generation in dispersion-managed Kerr resonators based on stretched-pulse solitons, which support the shortest pulses to date from a fiber Kerr resonator. In contrast to established Kerr resonator solitons, stretched-pulse solitons feature Gaussian temporal profiles that stretch and compress each round trip. Experimental results are in excellent agreement with numerical simulations. The dependence on dispersion and drive power are detailed theoretically and experimentally and design guidelines are presented for optimizing performance. Kerr resonator stretched-pulse solitons represent a new stable nonlinear waveform and a promising technique for femtosecond pulse generation.
Project description:Solitons are shape preserving waveforms that are ubiquitous across nonlinear dynamical systems from BEC to hydrodynamics, and fall into two separate classes: bright solitons existing in anomalous group velocity dispersion, and switching waves forming 'dark solitons' in normal dispersion. Bright solitons in particular have been relevant to chip-scale microresonator frequency combs, used in applications across communications, metrology, and spectroscopy. Both have been studied, yet the existence of a structure between this dichotomy has only been theoretically predicted. We report the observation of dissipative structures embodying a hybrid between switching waves and dissipative solitons, existing in the regime of vanishing group velocity dispersion where third-order dispersion is dominant, hence termed as 'zero-dispersion solitons'. They are observed to arise from the interlocking of two modulated switching waves, forming a stable solitary structure consisting of a quantized number of peaks. The switching waves form directly via synchronous pulse-driving of a Si3N4 microresonator. The resulting comb spectrum spans 136 THz or 97% of an octave, further enhanced by higher-order dispersive wave formation. This dissipative structure expands the domain of Kerr cavity physics to the regime near to zero-dispersion and could present a superior alternative to conventional solitons for broadband comb generation.
Project description:The alpha/beta-hydrolase fold is characterized by a beta-sheet core of five to eight strands connected by alpha-helices to form a alpha/beta/alpha sandwich. In most of the family members the beta-strands are parallels, but some show an inversion in the order of the first strands, resulting in antiparallel orientation. The members of the superfamily diverged from a common ancestor into a number of hydrolytic enzymes with a wide range of substrate specificities, together with other proteins with no recognized catalytic activity. In the enzymes the catalytic triad residues are presented on loops, of which one, the nucleophile elbow, is the most conserved feature of the fold. Of the other proteins, which all lack from one to all of the catalytic residues, some may simply be 'inactive' enzymes while others are known to be involved in surface recognition functions. The ESTHER database (http://bioweb.ensam.inra.fr/esther) gathers and annotates all the published information related to gene and protein sequences of this superfamily, as well as biochemical, pharmacological and structural data, and connects them so as to provide the bases for studying structure-function relationships within the family. The most recent developments of the database, which include a section on human diseases related to members of the family, are described.
Project description:Broadband and low-noise microresonator frequency combs (microcombs) are critical for deployable optical frequency measurements. Here we expand the bandwidth of a microcomb far beyond its anomalous dispersion region on both sides of its spectrum through spectral translation mediated by mixing of a dissipative Kerr soliton and a secondary pump. We introduce the concept of synthetic dispersion to qualitatively capture the system's key physical behavior, in which the second pump enables spectral translation through four-wave mixing Bragg scattering. Experimentally, we pump a silicon nitride microring at 1063 nm and 1557 nm to enable soliton spectral translation, resulting in a total bandwidth of 1.6 octaves (137-407 THz). We examine the comb's low-noise characteristics, through heterodyne beat note measurements across its spectrum, measurements of the comb tooth spacing in its primary and spectrally translated portions, and their relative noise. These ultra-broadband microcombs provide new opportunities for optical frequency synthesis, optical atomic clocks, and reaching previously unattainable wavelengths.