Unusual Polarization Relation between Single-Mode Lasing Emission and Excitation Laser from an Evanescent-Wave Pumped Micro-Cavity Laser

Abstract

Using a fiber of that is 125 μm in diameter in rhodamine 6G ethanol solution, controllable multi- and single-whispering-gallery-mode (WGM) optofluidic lasers based on evanescent-wave-coupled gain are both available. With multi-mode WGM emission, lasing emission with almost pure TM (transverse magnetic) or almost TE (transverse electric) modes can be obtained when the pump laser has an electric field parallel (perpendicular) to the fiber axis, i.e., the polarization direction of output laser is the same as that of the pump laser. On the other hand, when the laser emission is single-mode, the TE output laser always emerges firstly above lasing threshold, then keeps TE mode while the pump laser’s intensity increases with polarization direction perpendicular to the fiber axis; on the contrary, TE emission will dwindle relatively, while the TM emission emerges and dominates the spectra, when the pump laser’s intensity increases with polarization parallel to the fiber axis. Our work proves that controlling the leakage of the evanescent wave from high-Q microcavities is crucial for both modes of lasing emission and its polarization.

Keywords

• polarization
• microcavity lasers
• single mode
• whispering gallery mode