Katia Gallo

All-optical diode in a periodically poled lithium niobate waveguide

We have demonstrated a guided-wave all-optical diode based on engineered quasiphase Matching in a LiNbO3 channel waveguide. For input peak powers beyond 1.5 W at 1.55 μm, the device exhibited a spatially nonreciprocal response, leading to optical isolation with contrasts as high as 90% at 3.1 W, in agreement with theoretical predictions.

Efficient wavelength shifting over the erbium amplifier bandwidth via cascaded second order processes in lithium niobate waveguides

We investigate two schemes for wavelength conversion based on the cascading of two successive second order processes in a quasi-phase-matched lithium niobate channel waveguide. Efficient conversion over the full erbium amplifier bandwidth is possible with a single multi-hundred milliwatt pump laser operating around 1.55 μm.

Phase sensitive amplification based on quadratic cascading in a periodically poled lithium niobate waveguide.

We propose and demonstrate phase-sensitive amplification based on cascaded second harmonic generation and difference frequency generation within a periodically poled lithium niobate waveguide. Excellent agreement between our numerical simulations and proof-of-principle experiments using a 3-cm waveguide device operating at wavelengths around 1550 nm is obtained. Our experiments confirm the validity and practicality of the approach and illustrate the broad gain bandwidths achievable. Additional simulation results show that the maximum gain/attenuation factor increases quadratically with input pump power, reaching a value of +/- 19.0 dB at input pump powers of 33 dBm for a 3 cm-long waveguide. Increased gains/reduced powers for a fixed gain could be achieved using longer crystals.

All-optical diode based on second-harmonic generation in an asymmetric waveguide

We numerically investigate the response of a quadratically nonlinear channel waveguide for second-harmonic generation, in which the insertion of a localized phase discontinuity allows the simple implementation of directional nonreciprocity in the fundamental-frequency transmission.

Analysis of lithium niobate all-optical wavelength shifters for the third spectral window

We numerically investigate the performance of wavelength shifters in quasi-phase-matched channel waveguides in lithium niobate. The shifters are based on cascaded quadratic processes, namely, sum- and difference-frequency generation, and permit efficient conversion and signal gain near 1.55 µm over the full bandwidth of erbium-doped fiber amplifiers.

Harmonic generation in a two-dimensional nonlinear quasi-crystal

Second-harmonic generation in a two-dimensional nonlinear quasi-crystal is demonstrated for the first time to our knowledge. Temperature and wavelength tuning of the crystal reveal the uniformity of the pattern while angle tuning reveals the dense nature of the crystals Fourier spectrum. These results compare well with theoretical predictions showing the excellent uniformity of the crystal and suggest that more-complicated nonlinear holograms should be possible.

Photoreduction of SERS-Active Metallic Nanostructures on Chemically Patterned Ferroelectric Crystals

Photodeposition of metallic nanostructures onto ferroelectric surfaces is typically based on patterning local surface reactivity via electric field poling. Here, we demonstrate metal deposition onto substrates which have been chemically patterned via proton exchange (i.e., without polarization reversal). The chemical patterning provides the ability to tailor the electrostatic fields near the surface of lithium niobate crystals, and these engineered fields are used to fabricate metallic nanostructures. The effect of the proton exchange process on the piezoelectric and electrostatic properties of the surface is characterized using voltage-modulated atomic force microscopy techniques, which, combined with modeling of the electric fields at the surface of the crystal, reveal that the deposition occurs preferentially along the boundary between ferroelectric and proton-exchanged regions. The metallic nanostructures have been further functionalized with a target probe molecule, 4-aminothiophenol, from which surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) signal is detected, demonstrating the suitability of chemically patterned ferroelectrics as SERS-active templates.

Field induced evolution of regular and random 2D domain structures and shape of isolated domains in LiNbO3 and LiTaO3

The shapes of isolated domains produced by application of the uniform external electric field in different experimental conditions were investigated experimentally in single crystalline lithium niobate LiNbO 3 and lithium tantalate LiTaO 3 . The study of the domain kinetics by computer simulation and experimentally by polarization reversal of the model structure using two-dimensional regular electrode pattern confirms applicability of the kinetic approach to explanation of the experimentally observed evolution of the domain shape and geometry of the domain structure. It has been shown that the fast domain walls strictly oriented along X directions appear after domain merging.

Guided-wave second harmonic generation in a LiNbO3 nonlinear photonic crystal

We demonstrate twin-beam second-harmonic generation from telecommunications wavelengths in an optimized buried reverse proton exchanged planar waveguide made in 2D hexagonally poled LiNbO3. Experiments carried out with a nanosecond narrow-bandwidth, high-power fiber source thoroughly explored the response of the nonlinear photonic crystal device in terms of its power, wavelength, and angle tunability.

High conversion efficiency single-pass second harmonic generation in a zinc-diffused periodically poled lithium niobate waveguide

We report a modified technique for the fabrication of zinc-diffused channel waveguides using z-cut electric-field periodically poled LiNbO3. Unlike previous work, the diffusion was carried out using metallic zinc at atmospheric pressure. By optimizing the thermal diffusion parameters, channel waveguides that preserve the existing periodically poled domain structures, support both TE and TM modes, and enhance photorefractive damage resistance were obtained. Nonlinear characterisation of the channel waveguides was investigated via second harmonic generation of a 1552nm laser with a maximum conversion efficiency of 59%W-1cm-2 at 14.6 masculineC. Using a pulsed source a second harmonic conversion efficiency of 81% was achieved.