Free carrier front induced indirect photonic transitions: a new paradigm for frequency manipulation on chip

Journal
ACS photonics  
Volume
4
Issue
11
Start Page
2751
End Page
2758
Citation
ACS Photonics 11 (4): 2751-2758 (2017-11-15)
Publisher DOI
10.1021/acsphotonics.7b00750
Scopus ID
2-s2.0-85034076780
Publisher
ACS
Nonlinear degenerate four wave mixing and cross phase modulation are established approaches for all optical frequency manipulation in a silicon chip. These approaches require exact group velocity and/or phase velocity matching of pump, signal, and idler. On the other hand, several experimental demonstrations were presented recently, where frequency of light was changed by a free carrier front propagating in a silicon waveguide. This Doppler-like effect is less known, but has important advantages for frequency manipulation on chip. It requires no phase velocity matching and is not dependent on the shape and duration of the pump pulse. It also allows packet switching and can operate in a pump power independent regime. Here, we shortly review the work on front induced indirect transitions in silicon slow light waveguides. We consider three possible interaction regimes: transmission through the front, reflection from the front, and moving with the front called surfing. We derive analytical equations for the front with a linearly rising edge, which provide a unified description of the frequency shift in all three regimes. Finally, we compare the front induced dynamic frequency conversion to the frequency shifting based on nonlinear effects like cross-phase modulation and four wave mixing.
Subjects
frequency manipulation on chip
indirect photonic transitions
nonlinear optics
silicon photonics
slow light waveguides
DDC Class
600: Technik
Funding(s)
Indirekte photonische Übergänge zur Lichtsteuerung in integrierter Photonik
Relativistische photonische Bandlückenspiegel in der integrierten Optik