Abstract
We demonstrate a sensitive method for the nonlinear optical characterization of micrometer long waveguides, and apply it to typical silicon-on-insulator nanowires and to hybrid plasmonic waveguides. We demonstrate that our method can detect extremely small nonlinear phase shifts, as low as 7.5·10<(-4) rad. The high sensitivity achieved imparts an advantage when investigating the nonlinear behavior of metallic structures as their short propagation distances complicates the task for conventional methods. Our results constitute the first experimental observation of χ((3)) nonlinearities in the hybrid plasmonic platform and is important to test claims of hybrid plasmonic structures as candidates for efficient nonlinear optical devices.
Highlights
The sophistication and need for integrated optical devices is rapidly increasing due to its importance to future communications technology
We demonstrate a sensitive method for the nonlinear optical characterization of micrometer long waveguides, and apply it to typical silicon-on-insulator nanowires and to hybrid plasmonic waveguides
The current leading platform for nonlinear optical devices is silicon nanophotonics owing to its CMOS compatibility, low loss, high third-order susceptibility χ(3), and large index contrast which enables a relatively strong field confinement [4, 5]
Summary
The sophistication and need for integrated optical devices is rapidly increasing due to its importance to future communications technology. The advent of all optical data processing will require adequate development of integrated nonlinear optical devices, which in turn require strong light-matter interactions, low losses and a small physical footprint. The current leading platform for nonlinear optical devices is silicon nanophotonics owing to its CMOS compatibility, low loss, high third-order susceptibility χ(3), and large index contrast which enables a relatively strong field confinement [4, 5]. Field confinement has proven essential in achieving large nonlinear effects, as it enhances light-matter interactions while maintaining low power requirements [6]. Strong field enhancements of up to three orders of magnitudes have been demonstrated [7] This characteristic is what makes plasmonics an attractive platform for integrated nonlinear optics [8, 9]. The enhancement comes at the cost of increased linear losses, which may rule out plasmonics for practical nonlinear applications [10, 11]
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