3,989 research outputs found
Compact, fiber-compatible, cascaded Raman laser
No full textCascaded Raman Stokes lasing in an ultrahigh-Q silica microsphere resonator coupled to a tapered fiber is demonstrated and analyzed. With less than 900 μW of pump power near 980 nm, five cascaded Stokes lasing lines are generated. In addition, a threshold power of 56.4 μW for the first-order Stokes lasing is achieved. The Stokes lasing lines exhibit distinct characteristics depending on their order, as predicted by theoretical analysis
Second- and third-order nonlinear wavelength conversion in an all-optically poled Si3N4 waveguide
No full textSilicon nitride (Si3N4) is commonly employed to integrate third-order nonlinear optical processes on a chip. Its amorphous state, however, inhibits significant second-order nonlinear response. Recently, second-harmonic generation enhancement has been observed in Si3N4 waveguides after an all-optical poling (AOP) method. Here we demonstrate that, after AOP of a Si3N4 waveguide, for up to 2 W of coupled pump power, the same telecom-band signal undergoes larger interband wavelength conversion efficiency, based on sum-frequency generation (SFG), than intraband wavelength conversion, based on four-wave mixing. We also confirm the appearance of a phase-matching condition after AOP by measuring the conversion bandwidth and efficiency of SFG at different pump wavelengths. (C) 2018 Optical Society of AmericaLPQMPHOS
Recent Advances on Nonlinear Optics in Silicon Nitride Waveguides
No full textNonlinear phenomena based on the material 2nd or 3rd order nonlinear susceptibility tensor χ(2) and χ(3), respectively, offer potential in a wide variety of applications by exploiting wave-mixing capabilities. The integration of these nonlinear effects at the chip scale represents the best path towards portable, compact and low power optical signal processing devices. A significant body of work has been done recently in this direction, in particular focusing on CMOS-compatible platforms. While many nonlinear effects have been demonstrated in Silicon, Silicon Nitride has recently sparked significant interest. Owing to a larger band gap, wide transparency window and low loss, the potential of SiN waveguides for linear and nonlinear optics is now well established. In this paper, we report recent results on nonlinear processes in SiN waveguides. In particular we will cover generation of an extremely broad supercontinuum extending 400 THz from the visible to 3.6 μm pumped by a turnkey telecom wavelength pulsed source. We will also report on a tunable pulse source based on dispersive wave generation in an engineered thick waveguide. Finally, we will show that SiN offers some interesting potential for χ(2) based nonlinear effects, an important step towards integrating second order nonlinearity on chip
Ultralow-threshold erbium-implanted toroidal microlaser on silicon
No full textWe present an erbium-doped microlaser on silicon operating at a wavelength of 1.5 mum that operates at a launched pump threshold as low as 4.5 muW. The 40 mum diameter toroidal microresonator is made using a combination of erbium ion implantation, photolithography, wet and dry etching, and laser annealing, using a thermally grown SiO2 film on a Si substrate as a starting material. The microlaser, doped with an average Er concentration of 2x10^(19) cm(-3), is pumped at 1480 nm using an evanescently coupled tapered optical fiber. Cavity quality factors as high as 3.9x10^(7) are achieved, corresponding to a modal loss of 0.007 dB/cm, and single-mode lasing is observed
Mid infrared gas spectroscopy using efficient fiber laser driven photonic chip-based supercontinuum
No full textDirectly accessing the middle infrared, the molecular functional group spectral region, via supercontinuum generation processes based on turn-key fiber lasers offers the undeniable advantage of simplicity and robustness. Recently, the assessment of the coherence of the mid-IR dispersive wave in silicon nitride (Si3N4) waveguides, pumped at telecom wavelength, established an important first step towards mid-IR frequency comb generation based on such compact systems. Yet, the spectral reach and efficiency still fall short for practical implementation. Here, we experimentally demonstrate that large cross-section Si3N4 waveguides pumped with 2 mu m fs-fiber laser can reach the important spectroscopic spectral region in the 3-4 mu m range, with up to 35% power conversion and milliwatt-level output powers. As a proof of principle, we use this source for detection of C2H2 by absorption spectroscopy. Such result makes these sources suitable candidate for compact, chip-integrated spectroscopic and sensing applications
Erbium-implanted high-Q silica toroidal microcavity laser on a silicon chip
No full textLasing from an erbium-doped high-Q silica toroidal microcavity coupled to a tapered optical fiber is demonstrated and analyzed. Average erbium ion concentrations were in the range 0.009–0.09 at. %, and a threshold power as low as 4.5 µW and an output lasing power as high as 39.4 µW are obtained from toroidal cavities with major diameters in the range 25–80 µm. Controlling lasing wavelength in a discrete way at each whispering-gallery mode was possible by changing the cavity loading, i.e., the distance between the tapered optical fiber and the microcavity. Analytic formulas predicting threshold power and differential slope efficiency are derived and their dependence on cavity loading, erbium ion concentration, and Q factor is analyzed. It is shown that the experimental results are in good agreement with the derived formulas
Fabrication and characterization of erbium-doped toroidal microcavity lasers
No full textErbium-doped SiO2 toroidal microcavity lasers are fabricated on a Si substrate using a combination of optical lithography, etching, Er ion implantation, and CO2 laser reflow. Erbium is either preimplanted in the SiO2 base material or postimplanted into a fully fabricated microtoroid. Three-dimensional infrared confocal photoluminescence spectroscopy imaging is used to determine the spatial distribution of optically active Er ions in the two types of microtoroids, and distinct differences are found. Microprobe Rutherford backscattering spectrometry indicates that no macroscopic Er diffusion occurs during the laser reflow for preimplanted microtoroids. From the measured Er doping profiles and calculated optical mode distributions the overlap factor between the Er distribution and mode profile is calculated: Gamma=0.066 and Gamma=0.02 for postimplanted and preimplanted microtoroids, respectively. Single and multimode lasing around 1.5 µm is observed for both types of microtoroids, with the lowest lasing threshold (4.5 µW) observed for the preimplanted microtoroids, which possess the smallest mode volume. When excited in the proper geometry, a clear mode spectrum is observed superimposed on the Er spontaneous emission spectrum. This result indicates the coupling of Er ions to cavity modes
Large second harmonic generation enhancement in Si3N4 waveguides by all-optically induced quasiphase- matching
No full textEfficient second harmonic generation in integrated platforms is usually achieved by resonant structures, intermodal phase-matching or quasi-phase matching by periodically poling ferroelectric waveguides. However, in all these structures, it is impossible to reconfigure the phase-matching condition in an all-optical way. Here, we demonstrate that a Watt-level laser causes a periodic modification of the second-order susceptibility in a silicon nitride waveguide, allowing for quasi-phase-matching between the pump and second harmonic modes for arbitrary wavelengths inside the erbium band. The grating is long-term inscribed, and leads to a second harmonic generation enhancement of more than 30 dB. We estimate a χ(2) on the order of 0.3 pm/V, with a maximum conversion efficiency of 0.05%W−1. We explain the observed phenomenon with the coherent photogalvanic effect model, which correctly agrees with the retrieved experimental parameters.PHOSLLPQ
Mid-infrared frequency comb via coherent dispersive wave generation in silicon nitride nanophotonic waveguides
No full textMid-infrared optical frequency combs are of significant interest for molecular spectroscopy due to the large absorption of molecular vibrational modes on the one hand, and the ability to implement superior comb-based spectroscopic modalities with increased speed, sensitivity and precision on the other hand. Here, we demonstrate a simple, yet effective, method for the direct generation of mid-infrared optical frequency combs in the region from 2.5 to 4.0 μm (that is, 2,500–4,000 cm−1), covering a large fraction of the functional group region, from a conventional and compact erbium-fibre-based femtosecond laser in the telecommunication band (that is, 1.55 μm). The wavelength conversion is based on dispersive wave generation within the supercontinuum process in an unprecedented large-cross-section silicon nitride (Si3N4) waveguide with the dispersion lithographically engineered. The long-wavelength dispersive wave can perform as a mid-infrared frequency comb, whose coherence is demonstrated via optical heterodyne measurements. Such an approach can be considered as an alternative option to mid-infrared frequency comb generation. Moreover, it has the potential to realize compact dual-comb spectrometers. The generated combs also have a fine teeth-spacing, making them suitable for gas-phase analysis.LPQ
Will biological agents supplant systemic glucocorticoids as the first-line treatment for thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy?
No full textIn this article, the two authors present their opposing points of view concerning the likelihood that glucocorticoids will be replaced by newly developed biological agents in the treatment of active, moderate-to-severe thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy (TAO). TAO is a vexing, disfiguring and potentially blinding autoimmune manifestation of thyroid autoimmunity. One author expresses the opinion that steroids are nonspecific, frequently fail to improve the disease and can cause sometimes serious side effects. He suggests that glucocorticoids should be replaced as soon as possible by more specific and safer drugs, once they become available. The most promising of these are biological agents. The other author argues that glucocorticoids are proven effective and are unlikely to be replaced by biologicals. He reasons that while they may not uniformly result in optimal benefit, they have been proven effective in many reports. He remains open minded about alternative therapies such as biologicals but remains skeptical that they will replace steroids as the first-line therapy for active, moderate-to-severe TAO without head-to-head comparative clinical trials demonstrating superiority. Despite these very different points of view, both authors are optimistic about the availability of improved medical therapies for TAO, either as single agents or in combination. Further, both agree that better treatment options are needed to improve the care of our patients with active moderate-to-severe TAO
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