Optical Characterization and Comparative Investigation of Cylindrical and Spherical Optical Microcavities

Gökçe Dündar; Kerem Anar; Namık Akçay; Mustafa Eryürek

doi:10.29002/asujse.1650656

EN TR

Optical Characterization and Comparative Investigation of Cylindrical and Spherical Optical Microcavities

Abstract

This study focuses on the optical excitation and characterization of cylindrical and spherical microcavities using tapered optical fibers. Optical microcavity technologies offer significant potential for optical sensing applications requiring ultra-high sensitivity. In this study, the interaction mechanisms between tapered fiber structures and microcavities were examined in detail, and the properties of so-called “whispering gallery mode” (WGM) resonances were analyzed. Cylindrical microcavities provide a sensitive sensing platform against environmental changes due to their simple geometric structures, while spherical microcavities stand out with their symmetrical shapes and higher quality factors (Q-factors). These structures play a critical role in enhancing spectral resolution and achieving precise measurements in optical sensing. In the experimental setup, adiabatic tapering techniques were employed to fabricate tapered optical fibers, and the efficiency of fiber-microcavity interactions was optimized. This setup allowed for resolving WGMs spectrally making precise measurement of Q-factors possible. Larger free spectral ranges (FSR) were obtained with cylindrical microcavities, whereas spherical microcavities achieved extremely high Q-factors with denser mode spectra. The results revealed the critical impact of geometric properties, fabrication quality, and alignment precision of microcavities on optical performance. This study provides a significant foundation for the integration of tapered fiber-based microcavities into advanced sensing technologies. In the future, optimizing fabrication techniques and system geometries could further enhance the sensitivity and performance of microcavities.

Keywords

Silindirik ve Küresel Optik Mikrokovukların Karakterizasyonunun İncelenmesi ve Karşılaştırılması

Öz

Bu çalışma, inceltilmiş optik fiberler kullanılarak silindirik ve küresel mikrokovukların optik uyarımı ve karakterizasyonuna odaklanmaktadır. Optik mikrokovuk teknolojileri, çok yüksek hassasiyet gerektiren optik algılama uygulamalarında önemli bir potansiyel sunmaktadır. Bu çalışmada, inceltilmiş fiber yapıların mikrokovuklarla etkileşim mekanizmaları detaylı bir şekilde incelenmiş ve rezonans modlarının (WGM) özellikleri çözülmüştür. Silindirik mikrokovuklar, basit geometrik yapıları sayesinde çevresel değişikliklere karşı duyarlı bir algılama platformu sunarken, küresel mikrokovuklar şekilsel simetrileri ve daha yüksek Q-faktörleri ile öne çıkmaktadır. Bu yapılar, optik algılamada spektral çözünürlüğü arttırmak ve daha hassas ölçümler yapmak için kritik bir rol oynar. Deneysel düzenekte, inceltilmiş optik fiberlerin üretiminde adyabatik inceltme teknikleri kullanılmış ve fiber-mikrokovuk etkileşiminin verimliliği optimize edilmiştir. Bu düzenek, hem rezonans modlarının çözülmesine hem de Q-faktörünün hassas bir şekilde ölçülmesine olanak tanımıştır. Silindirik mikrokovuklarda daha büyük serbest spektral aralıklar (FSR) elde edilirken, küresel mikrokovuklar daha yoğun mod spektrumları ile çok yüksek Q-faktörlerine ulaşmıştır. Sonuçlar, mikrorezonatörlerin geometrik özellikleri, üretim kalitesi ve hizalama hassasiyetinin optik performans üzerindeki kritik etkisini ortaya koymuştur. Bu çalışma, inceltilmiş fiber tabanlı mikrokovukların ileri algılama teknolojilerine entegrasyonu için önemli bir temel sunmaktadır. Gelecekte, üretim tekniklerinin ve system geometrilerinin optimize edilmesi ile mikrokovukların duyarlılığını ve performansını daha da artırmak mümkün olabilecektir.

Anahtar Kelimeler

Supporting Institution

TÜBİTAK BİDEB

Project Number

121C216

Ethical Statement

We guarantee that the submitted paper is original, has not been previously published, and has not been submitted to any other journal for publication.

Thanks

This work was supported by TÜBİTAK BİDEB (Project Number: 121C216).

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Details

Primary Language

English

Subjects

Photonics, Optoelectronics and Optical Communications

Journal Section

Research Article

Authors

Gökçe Dündar ^*
0000-0002-7876-5818
Türkiye

Kerem Anar
0009-0005-7168-5144
Türkiye

Namık Akçay
0000-0003-1660-213X
Türkiye

Mustafa Eryürek
0000-0001-8612-3164
Türkiye

Early Pub Date

April 28, 2025

Publication Date

June 30, 2025

Submission Date

March 5, 2025

Acceptance Date

March 21, 2025

Published in Issue

Year 1970 Volume: 9 Number: 1

DOI

https://doi.org/10.29002/asujse.1650656

IZ

https://izlik.org/JA99YL74MN

Cite

RIS / Bibtex

APA

Dündar, G., Anar, K., Akçay, N., & Eryürek, M. (2025). Optical Characterization and Comparative Investigation of Cylindrical and Spherical Optical Microcavities. Aksaray University Journal of Science and Engineering, 9(1), 35-44. https://doi.org/10.29002/asujse.1650656