Chip-integrated extended-cavity mode-locked laser in the visible.

Mode-locked lasers are of interest for applications such as biological imaging, nonlinear frequency conversion, and single-photon generation. In the infrared, chip-integrated mode-locked lasers have been demonstrated through integration of laser diodes with low-loss photonic circuits. However, additional challenges, such as a higher propagation loss and smaller alignment tolerances, have prevented the realization of such lasers in the visible range.

Widely tunable and narrow-linewidth hybrid-integrated diode laser at 637 nm.

We present hybrid-integrated extended cavity diode lasers tunable around 637 nm, with a gain-wide spectral coverage of 8 nm. This tuning range addresses the zero-phonon line of nitrogen-vacancy centers and includes the wavelength of HeNe lasers (633 nm). Best performance shows wide mode-hop free tuning up to 97 GHz and a narrow intrinsic linewidth down to 10 kHz.

Hybrid integrated InP-SiN diode laser with a 40-Hz intrinsic linewidth.

We demonstrate a hybrid integrated and widely tunable diode laser with an intrinsic linewidth as narrow as 40 Hz, achieved with a single roundtrip through a low-loss feedback circuit that extends the cavity length to 0.5 meter on a chip. Employing solely dielectrics for single-roundtrip, single-mode resolved feedback filtering enables linewidth narrowing with increasing laser power, without limitations through nonlinear loss.

Ring resonator enhanced mode-hop-free wavelength tuning of an integrated extended-cavity laser.

Extending the cavity length of diode lasers with feedback from Bragg structures and ring resonators is highly effective for obtaining ultra-narrow laser linewidths. However, cavity length extension also decreases the free-spectral range of the cavity. This reduces the wavelength range of continuous laser tuning that can be achieved with a given phase shift of an intracavity phase tuning element.

Linewidth narrowing via low-loss dielectric waveguide feedback circuits in hybrid integrated frequency comb lasers.

We present an integrated hybrid semiconductor-dielectric (InP-SiN) waveguide laser that generates frequency combs at a wavelength around 1.5 μm with a record-low intrinsic optical linewidth of 34 kHz. This is achieved by extending the cavity photon lifetime using a low-loss dielectric waveguide circuit.

Surface acoustic waves for acousto-optic modulation in buried silicon nitride waveguides.

We theoretically investigate the use of Rayleigh surface acoustic waves (SAWs) for refractive index modulation in optical waveguides consisting of amorphous dielectrics. Considering low-loss SiN waveguides with a standard core cross-section of 4.4×0.

Two-octave spanning supercontinuum generation in stoichiometric silicon nitride waveguides pumped at telecom wavelengths.

We demonstrate supercontinuum generation in stoichiometric silicon nitride (SiN in SiO) integrated optical waveguides, pumped at telecommunication wavelengths. The pump laser is a mode-locked erbium fiber laser at a wavelength of 1.56 µm with a pulse duration of 120 fs.

On-chip visible-to-infrared supercontinuum generation with more than 495 THz spectral bandwidth.

We report ultra-broadband supercontinuum generation in high-confinement Si3N4 integrated optical waveguides. The spectrum extends through the visible (from 470 nm) to the infrared spectral range (2130 nm) comprising a spectral bandwidth wider than 495 THz, which is the widest supercontinuum spectrum generated on a chip.

High confinement, high yield Si(3)N(4) waveguides for nonlinear optical applications.

In this paper we present a novel fabrication technique for silicon nitride (Si(3)N(4)) waveguides with a thickness of up to 900 nm, which are suitable for nonlinear optical applications. The fabrication method is based on etching trenches in thermally oxidized silicon and filling the trenches with Si(3)N(4). Using this technique no stress-induced cracks in the Si(3)N(4) layer were observed resulting in a high yield of devices on the wafer.

Integrated CARS source based on seeded four-wave mixing in silicon nitride.

We present a theoretical investigation of an integrated nonlinear light source for coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (CARS) based on silicon nitride waveguides. Wavelength tunable and temporally synchronized signal and idler pulses are obtained by using seeded four-wave mixing. We find that the calculated input pump power needed for nonlinear wavelength generation is more than one order of magnitude lower than in previously reported approaches based on optical fibers.

Ellipsometry with randomly varying polarization states.

We show that, under the right conditions, one can make highly accurate polarization-based measurements without knowing the absolute polarization state of the probing light field. It is shown that light, passed through a randomly varying birefringent material has a well-defined orbit on the Poincar sphere, which we term a generalized polarization state, that is preserved. Changes to the generalized polarization state can then be used in place of the absolute polarization states that make up the generalized state, to measure the change in polarization due to a sample under investigation.

One-Watt level mid-IR output, singly resonant, continuous-wave optical parametric oscillator pumped by a monolithic diode laser.

We report more than 1.1 Watt of idler power at 3373 nm in a singly resonant optical parametric oscillator (SRO), directly pumped by a single-frequency monolithic tapered diode laser. The SRO is based on a periodically poled MgO:LiNbO3 crystal in a four mirror cavity and is excited by 8.

Using ultra-short pulses to determine particle size and density distributions.

We analyze the time dependent response of strongly scattering media (SSM) to ultra-short pulses of light. A random walk technique is used to model the optical scattering of ultra-short pulses of light propagating through media with random shapes and various packing densities. The pulse spreading was found to be strongly dependent on the average particle size, particle size distribution, and the packing fraction.