Absorption resonant rare earth-doped micro-cavities

Abstract

Absorption properties of an optically active medium can be changed drastically by a Fabry-Perot microcavity. Optically active medium of the cavity includes a host material which is not optically active and at least one rare earth ion which provides optical activity to the medium. The Fabry-Perot cavity is designed to be resonant with excitation wavelength of an absorption band of the host material. The excitation is provided by a source of radiation positioned such that the radiation impinges on the cavity at an angle within a range of from zero to less than 90 degrees from the normal to the top surface of the cavity. In one embodiment Er-implanted SiO.sub.2 is used as the optically active medium. SiO.sub.2 :Er has an absorption band at 980 nm and an emission band at 1.55 .mu.m due to 4f intra-atomic transitions of Er.sup.3+ ions. The Fabry-Perot cavity is designed to be resonant with the 980 nm absorption band of SiO.sub.2 :Er. The efficiency of the cavity structure is much higher as compared to a no-cavity structure, while the spectral features of the active SiO.sub.2 :Er emission are unaltered. The structure can be used for optically pumped semiconductor devices, such as optical amplifiers or lasers, which could be operated with a higher overall efficiency.