Dimitrios Dimitropoulos

Phase-matching and nonlinear optical processes in silicon waveguides

The efficiency of four-wave-mixing arising from Raman and non-resonant nonlinear susceptibilities in silicon waveguides is studied in the 1.3 - 1.8microm regime. The wavelength conversion efficiency is dominated by the Raman contribution to the nonlinear susceptibility, and high conversion efficiencies can be achieved under the phase-matching condition. In this context, dispersion in silicon waveguides is analyzed and it is shown that phase-matching is achieved in properly engineered waveguides where birefringence compensates for material dispersion. Finally the sensitivity of the phase mismatch to fabrication-induced errors in waveguide dimensions is quantified.

Parametric Raman wavelength conversion in scaled silicon waveguides

The benefits of using submicrometer modal-dimension silicon waveguides in realizing high-efficiency parametric Raman wavelength conversion are demonstrated theoretically and experimentally. The combined effects of Raman nonlinearities and free-carrier losses induced by two-photon absorption (TPA) are analyzed using the coupled-mode theory. The analysis indicates that scaling down the lateral dimensions increases the conversion efficiency of the Raman process and reduces the effective lifetime of free carriers and hence ameliorates the free-carrier losses. The feasibility of data conversion is demonstrated by coherent transfer of the analog radio-frequency (RF) signal from Stokes to anti-Stokes channels. The conversion efficiency, and hence signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), and bandwidth of the conversion process are found to be limited by the phase mismatch between the pump, Stokes, and anti-Stokes fields. The dispersion properties of submicrometer waveguides are also studied from the point of view of achieving phase matching and enhancing the conversion efficiency.

Prospects for Silicon Mid-IR Raman Lasers

This paper presents the case for the silicon Raman laser as a potential source for the technologically important midwave infrared (MWIR) region of the optical spectrum. The mid-IR application space is summarized, and the current practice based on the optical parametric oscillators and solid state Raman lasers is discussed. Relevant properties of silicon are compared with popular Raman crystals, and linear and nonlinear transmission measurements of silicon in the mid-IR are presented. It is shown that the absence of the nonlinear losses, which severely limit the performance of the recently demonstrated silicon lasers in the near IR, combined with unsurpassed crystal quality, high thermal conductivity and excellent optical damage threshold render silicon a very attractive Raman medium, even when compared to the very best Raman crystals. In addition, silicon photonic technology, offering integrated low-loss waveguides and microcavities, offers additional advantages over todays bulk crystal Raman laser technology. Using photonic crystal structures or microring resonators, the integrated cascaded microcavities can be employed to realize higher order Stokes emission, and hence to extend the wavelength coverage of the existing pump lasers. Exploiting these facts, the proposed technology can extend the utility of silicon photonics beyond data communication and into equally important applications in biochemical sensing and laser medicine

Raman amplification and lasing in SiGe waveguides

We describe the first observation of spontaneous Raman emission, stimulated amplification, and lasing in a SiGe waveguide. A pulsed optical gain of 16dB and a lasing threshold of 25 W peak pulse power (20 mW average) is observed for a Si1-xGex waveguide with x=7.5%. At the same time, a 40 GHz frequency downshift is observed in the Raman spectrum compared to that of a silicon waveguide. The spectral shift can be attributed to the combination of composition- and strain-induced shift in the optical phonon frequency. The prospect of Germanium-Silicon-on-Oxide as a flexible Raman medium is discussed.

Influence of Pump-to-Signal RIN Transfer on Noise Figure in Silicon Raman Amplifiers

The effect of the relative intensity noise (RIN), transferred from the pump to the signal, in 1-cm-long chip scale silicon Raman amplifiers is investigated in the presence of nonlinear losses. We show that due to the short waveguide length, the reduction in fluctuations that normally occurs due to ldquowalk-offrdquo between pump and signal waves in fiber amplifiers is inefficient in chip scale Raman amplifiers. In the counterpropagating pump configuration, which leads to minimum frequency RIN transfer, fluctuations up to 1.5 GHz are transferred from the pump to the signal. As a case study, the noise figure degrades by as much as 11 dB in the silicon waveguide with the free carrier life time of 0.1 ns, when it is pumped with a laser with a RIN value of -125 dB/Hz.

Noise Figure of Silicon Raman Amplifiers

Quantum mechanical Langevin calculations show nonlinear absorption significantly degrades the noise figure of silicon Raman amplifiers, and lifetimes in the 20 ps range or less are needed to approach the theoretical limit of 3 dB noise figure.

Nonlinear optics in silicon waveguides: Stimulated Raman Scattering and Two-Photon Absorption

Silicon-On-Insulator integrated optics boasts low loss waveguides and tight optical confinement necessary for the design of nanophotonic devices. In addition, the processing is fully compatible with capabilities of standard silicon foundries. Because of crystal symmetry, silicon does not possess 2nd order nonlinear optical effects. However, the combination of nanoscale geometries with the high refractive index contrast creates high optical intensities where 3rd order effects may become important, and in fact, may be exploited. In this context, we study the two main nonlinear processes that can occur in silicon waveguides, namely Stimulated Raman Scattering (SRS) from zone-center optical phonons and Two-Photon Absorption (TPA). Because of the single crystal structure, the Raman gain coefficient in silicon is several orders of magnitude larger than that in the (amorphous) glass fiber while its bandwidth is limited to approximately 100GHz. To achieve Raman gain in the 1550nm region requires the pump to be centered at around 1427nm. We discuss the Raman selection rules in a silicon waveguide and present the design of an SOI Raman amplifier. We show that by causing pump depletion, TPA can limit the amount of achievable Raman gain. TPA also limits the maximum optical SNR of the silicon amplifier.

Si/Ge elatform for lasers, amplifiers, and nonlinear optical devices based on the Raman Effect

The use of a silicon-germanium platform for the development of optically active devices will be discussed in this paper, from the perspective of Raman and Brillouin scattering phenomena. Silicon-Germanium is becoming a prevalent technology for the development of high speed CMOS transistors, with advances in several key parameters as high carrier mobility, low cost, and reduced manufacturing logistics. Traditionally, Si-Ge structures have been used in the optoelectronics arena as photodetectors, due to the enhanced absorption of Ge in the telecommunications band. Recent developments in Raman-based nonlinearities for devices based on a silicon-on-insulator platform have shed light on the possibility of using these effects in Si-Ge architectures. Lasing and amplification have been demonstrated using a SiGe alloy structure, and Brillouin/Raman activity from acoustic phonon modes in SiGe superlattices has been predicted. Moreover, new Raman-active branches and inhomogeneously broadened spectra result from optical phonon modes, offering new perspectives for optical device applications. The possibilities for an electrically-pumped Raman laser will be outlined, and the potential for design and development of silicon-based, Tera-Hertz wave emitters and/or receivers.

Dimensional scaling of nonlinear optical absorption in silicon waveguides

A model describing dimensional scaling of carrier lifetime and hence nonlinear optical absorption is presented. It is shown that nonlinear absorption, at a given optical intensity, can be mitigated with proper design of waveguide dimensions

Wavelength conversion using parametric Raman scattering in silicon microstructures

We demonstrated conversion of optical signals from 1550nm band to the 1300nm band in silicon waveguides. The conversion is based on parametric Stokes to anti-Stokes coupling using the Raman susceptibility of silicon. Achieving high conversion efficiency requires phase matching in the waveguides as well as means to reduce waveguide losses including the free carrier loss due to two photon absorption.