Multi-scale nonlinear effects in whispering-gallery mode resonators

Whispering gallery mode resonators have been the focus of many research works in recent years. They allow to study the light-matter interactions induced by the confinement of photons in nonlinear media. In particular, Brillouin Raman and Kerr nonlinearities excite the resonator at the lattice, molecular and electronic scale. This difference in spatial scales give to whispering gallery-mode resonators the potential to be central photonic components in microwave photonics, quantum optics and optoelectronics. We discuss in this communication some of the key challenges that have to be met for the understanding of Kerr, Raman and Brillouin interactions that can take place in these resonators.