Reduction of Light Signal Pulse Distortion in Cascaded SFG–DFG Wavelength Conversion: Segmented QPM Interleaved by Short Wavelength Cut Filters

Abstract

Cascaded sum-frequency-generation (SFG) and difference-frequency-generation (DFG) can implement a wavelength conversion between arbitrary combinations of input and output signal wavelengths. By using a tunable wavelength pump light, the output wavelength can be tuned to a desired wavelength. As in many wavelength conversion devices using the nonlinear optical effect, the group velocity difference between light pulses with different wavelength causes a walk-off effect deforming the output pulse shape. Thus, the device length should be kept short to avoid the walk-off effect resulting in limited conversion efficiency. In this report, we propose a method, for quasi-phase matched device, to maintain the pulse shape of the SFG light pulse along the propagation distance. The output DFG light pulse deformation is suppressed and the conversion efficiency can be increased by extending the device length.