Octave-spanning tunable infrared parametric oscillators in nanophotonics

Area of Science:

• Nanophotonics
• Integrated Photonics
• Nonlinear Optics

Background:

• Tunable coherent sources are crucial for nanophotonic applications, including communications and sensing.
• The mid-infrared (mid-IR) spectral region is vital for molecular spectroscopy.
• Existing nanophotonic tunable sources have limited tuning ranges, especially in the mid-IR.

Purpose of the Study:

• To demonstrate ultrawidely tunable optical parametric oscillators (OPOs) in nanophotonics.
• To extend nanophotonic tunable sources into the mid-infrared spectral region.
• To overcome the limitations of previous nanophotonic OPO implementations.

Main Methods:

• Utilizing dispersion-engineered periodically poled lithium niobate (PPLN) nanophotonics.
• Employing 100 ns pulsed light near 1 μm as the pump source.
• Fabricating a single chip to host the nanophotonic OPO.

Main Results:

• Achieved output wavelengths tunable from 1.53 μm to 3.25 μm.
• Generated high output powers, reaching tens of milliwatts.
• Demonstrated the first octave-spanning tunable source in nanophotonics extending into the mid-IR.

Conclusions:

• The developed nanophotonic OPO surpasses previous tuning range limitations in the mid-IR.
• This technology offers a versatile platform for integrated photonic applications.
• The ultrawidely tunable mid-IR source opens new possibilities for spectroscopy and sensing on a chip.