Continuous wave-pumped wavelength conversion in low-loss silicon nitride waveguides

Area of Science:

• Integrated Optics
• Nonlinear Optics
• Materials Science

Background:

• Developing advanced waveguide platforms is crucial for nonlinear integrated optics.
• Silicon nitride (Si3N4) offers a promising material for low-loss optical applications.
• Efficient wavelength conversion is essential for optical signal processing and telecommunications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce a complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS)-compatible Si3N4 waveguide platform.
• To demonstrate its suitability for nonlinear integrated optics, specifically for wavelength conversion.
• To present continuous-wave (CW) pumped data conversion in a non-resonant Si3N4 waveguide.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of a low-loss Si3N4 waveguide compatible with CMOS processes.
• Characterization of the waveguide's nonlinear coefficient and propagation loss.
• Experimental demonstration of four-wave mixing (FWM) in the C-band using a CW pump.

Main Results:

• Achieved a propagation loss of 0.06 dB/cm and a nonlinear coefficient of 285 W/km.
• Observed a constant quadratic dependence of FWM on the CW pump, indicating negligible nonlinear loss.
• Demonstrated a conversion efficiency of -26.1 dB and idler power generation of -19.6 dBm.

Conclusions:

• The developed Si3N4 waveguide platform is highly effective for nonlinear integrated optics.
• Its low loss and high optical power handling enable efficient CW-pumped wavelength conversion.
• This work represents the first demonstration of CW-pumped data conversion in a non-resonant Si3N4 waveguide.