Dual-Wavelength Pulse Train Generation Based on Silicon-on-Insulator Optical Waveguides

Abstract

In this paper, we present and numerically study a method with pump-probe configuration to generate ∼4.17-THz dual-wavelength ultrahigh-repetition-rate pulse train from the continuous-waves (CW) based on the submicron silicon-on-insulator (SOI) optical waveguides. An original ∼4.17 THz repetition rate pulsed pump, with femtosecond pulse duration, at 2900 nm (mid-wave infrared wavelength-MWIR) and 2-channel CW lights at 1450 nm and 1650 nm (near infrared wavelengths) are simultaneously launched into the silicon waveguide. Results show that, when both of CW lights with high intensity pulsed pump are co-propagating along the SOI waveguide, the CW lights will, respectively, experience normal and anomalous group velocity dispersion (GVD) regimes, leading to developing into two inverted ∼4.17 THz repetition rate pulse train by the combined effects of GVD and nonlinear frequency chirp induced by pulsed pump inside the waveguide. Moreover, the outcome pulse trains have short pulse duration and high extinction ratio (ER) comparing with the original pulsed pump if the systems parameters such as input power and waveguide length are judiciously adjusted.