Nondegenerate mirrorless oscillation in silicon waveguide

Area of Science:

• Nonlinear optics
• Integrated photonics
• Silicon photonics

Background:

• Four-wave mixing (FWM) is a key nonlinear optical process.
• Mirrorless oscillation offers advantages over traditional laser cavities.
• Silicon photonics enables compact and efficient optical devices.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose and investigate nondegenerate four-wave mixing (FWM) mirrorless oscillation.
• To leverage modal dispersion in silicon waveguides for efficient light generation.
• To explore the tunability of generated optical waves.

Main Methods:

• Utilizing a high-index-contrast silicon nonlinear waveguide.
• Employing two counterpropagating pump beams in one spatial mode.
• Generating two new optical waves in a different spatial mode via FWM.
• Analyzing phase-matching conditions with higher-order modes.

Main Results:

• Achieved mirrorless oscillation through nondegenerate FWM.
• Demonstrated generation of new optical waves in a different spatial mode.
• Showcased tunability of generated frequencies by adjusting pump frequency.
• Investigated threshold power and conversion efficiency under varying waveguide parameters.

Conclusions:

• Nondegenerate FWM mirrorless oscillation is feasible in multimode silicon waveguides.
• Modal dispersion is crucial for efficient generation of new optical waves.
• The proposed method offers a tunable light source for integrated photonic applications.