Tunable Raman lasing in an As₂S₃ chalcogenide glass microsphere

Area of Science:

• Photonics and Optics
• Materials Science

Background:

• Chalcogenide glasses are promising materials for nonlinear optics due to their high nonlinear refractive index.
• Microspheres offer high Q-factors, enabling efficient light-matter interactions for lasing applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To experimentally demonstrate Raman lasing in an arsenic sulfide (As2S3) chalcogenide glass microsphere.
• To investigate the tunability and multimode behavior of Raman lasing.
• To explore nonlinear optical phenomena such as up-converted wave generation.

Main Methods:

• Pumping an As2S3 microsphere with a C-band narrow line laser.
• Tuning the pump laser wavelength and power to observe Raman lasing.
• Analyzing generated wavelengths and comparing experimental results with Lugiato-Lefever equation simulations.

Main Results:

• Achieved single-mode Raman lasing tunable from 1.610 μm to 1.663 μm.
• Observed multimode cascade Raman lasing up to the fourth order at 2.01 μm.
• Reported up-converted wave generation at 1.38 μm via four-wave mixing.

Conclusions:

• As2S3 microspheres are effective platforms for achieving tunable Raman lasing.
• The observed phenomena align with theoretical predictions from the Lugiato-Lefever equation.
• This work highlights the potential of chalcogenide microspheres for advanced photonic applications.