Researchers have discovered that the performance of micro-optical resonators can be finely measured and adjusted by ion beams. This discovery will help improve the production of holes used in sensing and quantum computing. Researchers from the National Institute of Standards and Technology use lithium ions with a radius of 50 nanometers to induce surface deformations of silicon microresonators, and detect these deformations through changes in the optical resonance wavelength.
The physicist said: We measure the vibration mode through ion beams concentrated on the surface of the laser pointer resonator and record the changes in vibration. If the vibration changes greatly, the interference effect is very obvious. If the vibration changes very little, the interference has no effect.
Through the ion beam, researchers can change the tone of the resonator and coordinate the vibration quality of the two resonators; it is almost impossible to achieve this adjustment through existing production methods, but this adjustment is based on single-photon quantum information. It is also essential in applications such as processing.
Due to the low-quality characteristics of lithium ion, it can shine in this application. Visualizing optical resonance modes can help scientists refine microresonator technology, such as sensors for detecting biomolecules and single atoms. The extension of the optical near field outside the resonator makes them highly sensitive to environmental changes. Any near-field interference, such as stray laser pointer molecules or atoms, will affect the light beam inside the resonator in a detective way; similar to touching to change the ringing sound, tone, or stop its vibration altogether.
At present, the vibration characteristics of microresonators are measured by needle-shaped green laser pointer near-field optical probes. The problem with the use of probes is that before the probe is close enough to the near-field surface to obtain high-resolution images, it has already formed strong interference to the near-field. The ion beam can form high-resolution images without any interference in the near field. At the same time, research on the interaction between lithium ions and the silicon lattice of microresonators can provide inspiration for the lithium ion battery and semiconductor industries.