Agile multicasting based on cascaded χ(2) nonlinearities in a step-chirped periodically poled lithium niobate

We experimentally demonstrate the possibility of agile multicasting for wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) networks, of a single-channel to two and seven channels over the C band, also extendable to S and L bands. This is based on cascaded χ(2) nonlinear mixing processes, namely, second-harmonic generation (SHG)-sum-frequency generation (SFG) and difference-frequency generation (DFG) in a 20-mm-long step-chirped periodically poled lithium niobate crystal, specially designed and fabricated for a 28-nm-wide SH-SF bandwidth centered at around 1.55 μm. The multiple idlers are simultaneously tuned by detuning the pump wavelengths within the broad SH-SF bandwidth. By selectively tuning the pump wavelengths over less than 10 and 6 nm, respectively, multicasting into two and seven idlers is successfully achieved across ~70 WDM channels within the 50 GHz International Telecommunication Union grid spacing.