Dispersion measurement assisted by a stimulated parametric process.

Area of Science:

• Photonics and Optical Engineering
• Materials Science

Background:

• Dispersion significantly impacts light propagation in photonic devices.
• Existing dispersion measurement techniques, like linear interferometry, have limitations for devices with small dispersion-length products, often requiring precise alignment and phase stabilization.
• Nonlinear interferometers in the spontaneous regime offer alignment-free measurements but necessitate costly single-photon detectors and long integration times.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a more efficient and cost-effective method for measuring dispersion in photonic devices.
• To overcome the limitations of existing linear and spontaneous nonlinear interferometry techniques.
• To demonstrate precise dispersion measurement capabilities using a novel stimulated nonlinear interferometer.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a nonlinear interferometer operating in the stimulated regime.
• Employed conventional optical components and detectors, avoiding the need for single-photon detectors.
• Validated the technique on devices with small dispersion-length products.

Main Results:

• Successfully measured the dispersion of a device with a dispersion-length product as low as 0.009 ps/nm.
• Achieved a high precision of 0.0002 ps/nm in dispersion measurements.
• Demonstrated significantly shorter integration times compared to the spontaneous regime.

Conclusions:

• The stimulated nonlinear interferometer offers a practical and efficient solution for dispersion measurement in photonic devices.
• This technique provides high precision and reduced system cost and measurement time.
• It enables accurate characterization of devices with minimal dispersion, advancing photonic device development.