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Nonlinear optical phenomena in silicon waveguides: modeling and applications.
Optics Express
|June 25, 2009
Summary
This review unifies the theory of nonlinear optical effects in silicon waveguides, including free carrier generation. It guides understanding and application of phenomena like supercontinuum generation and wavelength conversion.
Area of Science:
- Nonlinear Optics
- Semiconductor Photonics
Background:
- Silicon waveguides exhibit various nonlinear optical effects with significant device application potential.
- Understanding these effects requires a unified theoretical framework.
Purpose of the Study:
- To present a unified theoretical platform for understanding nonlinear optical phenomena in silicon waveguides.
- To guide the development of new device applications based on these phenomena.
Main Methods:
- Description of third-order nonlinearity in silicon, considering electronic and Raman contributions.
- Inclusion of free carrier generation via two-photon absorption.
- Derivation of a general propagation equation and a generalized nonlinear Schrodinger equation.
Main Results:
- Analysis of ultrashort pulse propagation, soliton formation, and supercontinuum generation.
- Discussion of cross-phase modulation and stimulated Raman scattering, including free carrier effects.
- Investigation of four-wave mixing for parametric amplification and wavelength conversion with net gain.
Conclusions:
- The presented theoretical platform unifies the understanding of diverse nonlinear optical effects in silicon.
- This framework facilitates the exploration of novel applications in telecommunications and optical signal processing.
