Dynamic Microcavity Resonators

Prof. Govind P. Agrawal

The Institute of Optics, University of Rochester

Rochester, NY 14627 USA

Abstract

Refractive index of the intracavity medium can change with time in the case of dynamic optical resonators. Recently a novel phenomenon known as “adiabatic wavelength conversion” has been discovered in such resonators. We have developed a general theory of light propagation inside dynamic optical resonators using time-dependent perturbation theory of quantum mechanics.  In this talk, I present this theory and discuss how it can used to understand the observed behavior in several recent experiments. Dynamic wavelength shifts can also occur in the absence of optical feedback. This situation will be discussed using a novel time-transformation approach.

Biography

Govind P. Agrawal received the B.S. degree from the University of Lucknow in 1969 and the M.S. and Ph.D. degrees from the Indian Institute of Technology, New Delhi in 1971 and 1974, respectively. After holding positions at Ecole Polytechnique, France, City University of New York, and AT&T Bell Laboratories, NJ, Dr. Agrawal joined in 1989 the faculty of the Institute of Optics at the University of Rochester, where he holds the positions of Professor of Optics, Professor of Physics, and LLE Senior Scientist. His research interests span from optical communications and semiconductor lasers to nonlinear fiber optics and silicon photonics.  He is an author or coauthor of more than 400 research papers and eight books including Fiber-Optic Communication Systems (4^th ed., Wiley 2010) and Nonlinear Fiber Optics (5^th ed., Academic Press 2013).  These two books are used worldwide for graduate teaching and have helped in training a whole generation of scientists.

Dr. Agrawal has been involved extensively with the Optical Society of America (OSA) and Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). He is a Fellow of both OSA and IEEE and a Life Fellow of the Optical Society of India.  From 2008 to 2010 Dr. Agrawal chaired the Publication Council of OSA and was a member of its Board of Directors. His alma mater, Indian Institute of Technology, gave him in 2000 its Distinguished Alumni Award. In 2012, IEEE Photonics Society honored him with its prestigious Quantum Electronics Award.