Integrated photonic waveguides for on-chip SBS with OAM modes

Abstract

Stimulated Brillouin Scattering (SBS) is a nonlinear optical process that can provide significant on-chip gain in various materials and platforms. The utilization of chalcogenide and silicon (Si) waveguides has facilitated the advancement of Brillouin lasers and diverse microwave photonic functionalities. The predominant approach has been centered on interactions between conventional guided modes, specifically TE/TM. This study introduces a novel approach that explores diverse guided-wave configurations capable of sustaining SBS with orbital angular momentum modes (OAM). These configurations include a cross-Si waveguide and a silica/chalcogenide waveguide. The simulations examine the forward and backward SBS utilizing OAM modes up to the 4th order in planar on-chip waveguides. A maximum on-chip SBS gain of up to ∼540W−1m−1 has been observed for pump and Stokes OAM mode numbers satisfying the topological charge conservation law. This OAM multiplexing approach can open new avenues for on-chip integrated nonlinear photonics for various applications, especially where pump and signal beam filtering or separation are critical.