A review of nonlinear applications in silicon optical fibers from telecom wavelengths into the mid-infrared spectral region

Abstract

Glass-glad silicon core fibers are attracting considerable attention for use in nonlinear applications due to their tight light confinement and intrinsically high third-order nonlinearities. Recent advances in the fabrication procedures have shown that molten core fiber drawing and post-processing techniques can be combined in a versatile approach to produce low-loss fibers with submicron-sized crystalline cores. In this paper, we review current progress in the nonlinear application of silicon-based optical fibers from telecom wavelengths into the mid-infrared. Particular attention is paid to dispersion engineering the fibers to achieve efficient parametric amplification, wavelength conversion and mid-infrared supercontinuum generation.