Intermodal Four-wave Mixing Research Articles

Efficient THz wave generation through intermodal four-wave mixing in the Ge waveguides with different geometries

ABSTRACT Intermodal four-wave mixing (FWM) in photonic waveguides offers a promising approach for efficient terahertz (THz) wave generation, crucial for advanced photonic systems. This study explores the potential of germanium (Ge) waveguides, leveraging their distinct dispersion profiles in transverse electric (TE), and transverse magnetic (TM) modes to achieve phase-matching for FWM. We conducted a numerical analysis of two waveguide geometries, ridge and plane, to optimize THz generation efficiency. Also, by optimizing waveguide geometry, it is possible to achieve higher conversion efficiency and broader THz bandwidth. The results demonstrate that Ge waveguides, particularly when utilizing same-phase laser pulses, can significantly enhance THz radiation and exhibit lower losses compared to traditional silicon-based designs. The findings suggest that integrating these optimized Ge waveguides with existing photonic components could lead to more versatile and efficient THz systems.

High-gain far-detuned nonlinear frequency conversion in a few-mode graded-index optical fiber

We present theoretical and experimental evidence of high-gain far-detuned nonlinear frequency conversion, extending towards both the visible and the mid-infrared, in a few-mode graded-index silica fiber pumped at 1.064 μm\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$\\upmu \\hbox {m}$$\\end{document}, and more specifically achieving gains of hundreds of dB per meter below 0.65 μm\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$\\upmu \\hbox {m}$$\\end{document} and beyond 3.5 μm\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$\\upmu \\hbox {m}$$\\end{document}. Interestingly, our findings highlight the potential of graded-index fibers for enabling high-gain wavelength conversion into the strong-loss spectral region of silica. Such advancements require an accurate interpretation of intramodal and intermodal four-wave mixing processes.

Low-Threshold Cascaded Raman Scattering and Intermodal Four-Wave Mixing in Cascaded Multimode Fiber System

Low-Threshold Cascaded Raman Scattering and Intermodal Four-Wave Mixing in Cascaded Multimode Fiber System

Investigation of Intermodal Four-Wave Mixing for Continuous-Wave Photon-Pair Generation

Investigation of Intermodal Four-Wave Mixing for Continuous-Wave Photon-Pair Generation

Fully integrated and broadband Si-rich silicon nitride wavelength converter based on Bragg scattering intermodal four-wave mixing

Intermodal four-wave mixing (FWM) processes have recently attracted significant interest for all-optical signal processing applications thanks to the possibility to control the propagation properties of waves exciting distinct spatial modes of the same waveguide. This allows, in principle, to place signals in different spectral regions and satisfy the phase matching condition over considerably larger bandwidths compared to intramodal processes. However, the demonstrations reported so far have shown a limited bandwidth and suffered from the lack of on-chip components designed for broadband manipulation of different modes. We demonstrate here a silicon-rich silicon nitride wavelength converter based on Bragg scattering intermodal FWM, which integrates mode conversion, multiplexing and de-multiplexing functionalities on-chip. The system enables wavelength conversion between pump waves and a signal located in different telecommunication bands (separated by 60 nm) with a 3 dB bandwidth exceeding 70 nm, which represents, to our knowledge, the widest bandwidth ever achieved in an intermodal FWM-based system.

L- to U-Band Wavelength Conversion of QPSK Signals Using Intermodal Four-Wave Mixing

L- to U-Band Wavelength Conversion of QPSK Signals Using Intermodal Four-Wave Mixing

Mode multicasting without parasitic wavelength conversion.

Optical multicasting, which involves delivering an input signal to multiple different channels simultaneously, is a key function to improve network performance. By exploiting individual spatial modes as independent channels, mode-division-multiplexing (MDM) can solve the capacity crunch of traditional standard single-mode fiber (SSMF) transmission system. In order to realize mode multicasting with high flexibility in future hybrid wavelength-division-multiplexing (WDM) and MDM networks, we propose a mode multicasting scheme without parasitic wavelength conversion, based on the inter-modal four-wave mixing (FWM) arising in the few-mode fiber (FMF). The operation mechanism including nonlinear phase shift for efficient mode multicasting is analytically identified. Then, based on the derived operation condition, we numerically investigate the impact of the dual-pump power and the FMF length on the performance of mode multicasting. By properly setting the pump wavelength and the dual-pump power, mode multicasting performance, in terms of mode multicasting efficiency, 3-dB bandwidth, and destination wavelength, can be tuned according to various application scenarios. After the performance optimization, mode multicasting of 25-Gbaud and 100-Gbaud 16-quadratic-amplitude modulation (16-QAM) signals is numerically demonstrated. The proposed reconfigurable mode multicasting is promising for future WDM-MDM networks.

Mutual influence of intermodal and fundamental four-wave mixing of 1.0 µm and 1.5 µm nanosecond pulses in a dual-wavelength fiber laser.

We introduce the experimental and theoretical investigation of the mutual influence of two four-wave mixing (FWM) processes during the propagation of high-power nanosecond pulses at 1030 nm and 1562 nm wavelengths in the few-mode optical fiber. Both fundamental mode FWM (FM FWM) of laser pulses at these wavelengths, and intermodal FWM (IM FWM) of 1030 nm pulses, have common anti-Stokes components at 1003 nm wavelength. This leads to the mutual influence of FWM effects. As a result, the decrease of optical power of the fundamental mode is observed at both 1030 nm and 1562 nm wavelengths. The method for the suppression of such an adverse effect is proposed. It is based on the attenuation of the 1030 nm higher LP11 mode at the few-mode optical fiber input.

Parametric amplification based on intermodal four-wave mixing between different supermodes in coupled-core fibers.

Parametric amplifiers relying on the nonlinear four-wave mixing process are known for their signature symmetric gain spectrum, where signal and idler sidebands are generated on both sides of a powerful pump wave frequency. In this article we show analytically and numerically that parametric amplification in two identically coupled nonlinear waveguides can be designed in such a way that signals and idlers are naturally separated into two different supermodes, hence providing idler-free amplification for the supermode carrying signals. This phenomenon is based on the coupled-core fibers analogue of intermodal four wave-mixing occurring in a multimode fiber. The control parameter is the pump power asymmetry between the two waveguides, which leverages the frequency dependency of the coupling strength. Our findings pave the way for a novel class of parametric amplifiers and wavelength converters, based on coupled waveguides and dual-core fibers.

Mid-infrared generation beyond 3.5 µm in a graded-index silica fiber

We present theoretical as well as experimental evidence of far-detuned nonlinear wavelength conversion towards the mid-infrared, namely beyond 3.5 µm, in a few-mode graded-index silica fiber pumped at 1.064 µm. We take into account the full frequency-dependence of the propagation constants, which allows us to obtain excellent agreement of theoretical predictions with experimental observations and provides new and accurate interpretation of intramodal and intermodal four-wave mixing processes in few-mode fibers.

Intermodal Four-Wave Mixing Process in Strain-Induced Birefringent Multimode Optical Fibers.

Our study investigated the partially degenerate intermodal four-wave mixing (IM-FWM) process in nonlinear multimode optical fibers with strain-induced birefringence. The difference in the refractive index along the two orthogonal directions was due to the photoelastic effect that occurred when the fiber under test (FUT) was subjected to uniformly applied diameter stress caused by winding on a cylinder of a given diameter. Our work analyzed how the nonlinear frequency conversion and the output modal field profiles depended on the degree of birefringence in FUT. The experimental results significantly affected the order of the excited moduli in fiber sections characterized by different amounts of birefringence. We also checked the efficiency of the FWM process for different polarizations of the pump beam to determine those for which the FWM process was most effective for the 532 nm sub-nanosecond pulses. More than 30% conversion efficiency was obtained for the FUTs with a length of tens of centimeters.

An Efficient Method for the Intermodal Four-Wave Mixing Process.

We demonstrate a partially degenerated intermodal four-wave mixing (FWM) process realized in a few-mode nonlinear optical fiber, leading to the effective generation of visible red and blue light from 532 nm sub-nanosecond pulses. We present a self-seeded FWM configuration with a signal beam obtained in the additional section of the same type of fiber that ensures perfect matching between the seed and the Stokes beams. Over 40% of the wavelength conversion efficiency in the FWM process was obtained using a fiber length shorter than 1 m.

Effect of Seed Power on the Inter-Modal Four-Wave-Mixing Effect in Distributed Side-Pumped Fiber Amplifiers

The effect of seed power on the inter-modal four-wave mixing (IM-FWM) effect in a distributed side-pumped fiber amplifier is investigated for the first time, to the best of our knowledge. By using a seed source smaller than 70 W, the effect of seed power on the IM-FWM is studied experimentally. Surprisingly, it is found that the IM-FWM effect becomes stronger with the weaker seed. To analyze the physics behind this result, a numerical model is introduced, and the numerical results are in good agreement with the experimental observations. It is revealed that the IM-FWM enhancement is induced by the gain competition between the signal light and the anti-Stokes light of the IM-FWM. It is also found that there is an optimized seed power for suppressing the IM-FWM effect. The experimental and numerical results which are presented in this work can provide significant guidance for understanding the IM-FWM in fiber lasers and amplifiers.

Far-detuned parametric sidebands via multiple intermodal four-wave mixing in communication fiber

Far-detuned parametric sidebands via multiple intermodal four-wave mixing in communication fiber

Mitigating indistinguishability issues in photon pair sources by delayed-pump intermodal four wave mixing.

Large arrays of independent, pure and identical heralded single photon sources are an important resource for linear optical quantum computing protocols. In the race towards the development of increasingly ideal sources, delayed-pump intermodal four wave mixing (IFWM) in multimode waveguides has recently emerged as one of the most promising approaches. Despite this, fabrication imperfections still spoil the spectral indistinguishability of photon pairs from independent sources. Here we show that by tapering the width of the waveguide and by controlling the delay between the pump pulses, we add additional spectral tunability to the source while still inheriting all the distinctive metrics of the IFWM scheme. This feature is used to recover spectral indistinuishability in presence of fabrication errors. Under realistic tolerances on the waveguide dimensions, we predict >99.5% indistinguishability between independent sources on the same chip, and a maximum degradation of the heralded Hong-Ou-Mandel visibility <0.35%.

Selective excitation of different combinations of LP01 and LP11 polarization modes in a birefringent optical fiber using a Wollaston prism.

We present an effective method for free-space selective excitation of different combinations of LP01 and LP11 polarization modes in a birefringent optical fiber using a Wollaston prism, rotatable polarizer, and achromatic half-wave plate. The method is minimally wavelength-dependent and can be used for high-power sources. The relative coupling efficiencies of different modes can be continuously tuned and the suppression rate of the unwanted modes with respect to the targeted mode exceeds 20 dB. We present input system configurations that allow for the excitation of different individual modes and groups of modes and estimate the maximum coupling efficiencies based on numerical simulations. As example applications, we show the generation of Raman sidebands in different modes, gain tunability of intermodal four-wave mixing, and broadband conversion of a supercontinuum light beam from the fundamental to the LP11 mode.

Interaction between Inter-Modal Four-Wave Mixing and Stimulated Raman Scattering in High-Power Fiber Lasers

Interaction between Inter-Modal Four-Wave Mixing and Stimulated Raman Scattering in High-Power Fiber Lasers

Mode-Entanglement in Silicon Waveguides Through Intermodal Four-Wave Mixing

Silicon photonics is rapidly emerging as a promising, scalable platform for quantum information applications. As the technology matures, sources of high-quality quantum-optical states are increasingly important. We discuss the use of intermodal four-wave mixing in silicon waveguides for creating entangled photon pairs. We describe a framework to numerically analyze the state of produced photon pairs and discuss a scheme for generating photon pairs that are purely entangled in their transverse waveguide mode. Using this scheme, we find a theoretical fidelity of 99.6 % to a true Bell state in the transverse mode with no spectral correlations.

Stokes light induced modulation instability in high power continuous wave fiber amplifiers.

In this paper, Stokes light induced modulation instability (MI) in high power continuous wave (CW) fiber amplifiers is observed. The investigation shows that the Stokes light generated by inter-modal four wave mixing (IMFWM) and stimulated Raman scattering (SRS) in high power fiber amplifiers can be modulated by the signal light through XPM and cause MI. Then, a sideband will be generated around the second-order Raman frequency shift, which is amplified by SRS and shown as a train of pulses in time domain. It is shown that the frequency shift of the sideband will be influenced by IMFWM and SRS. In addition, the sideband was found to be blue-shifted with the increase of the power, which indicates that the frequency shift of the sideband is mainly depended on MI, while SRS plays the role of amplification.

Toward generation of mid-infrared orbital angular momentum beams by tailoring four-wave mixing in chalcogenide photonic crystal fiber

The nonlinear process of orbital angular momentum (OAM) beams in multimode fiber has attracted renewed interest due to its enhanced intermodal nonlinear interactions. Here, we designed and simulated a novel photonic crystal fiber (PCF) based on A s 2 S e 3 glass that supports stable OAM modes. By optimizing the structure parameters of the fiber, both the effective index separation and the phase-matching condition of OAM modes were satisfied in the fiber. Mid-infrared OAM light can be generated by intermodal four-wave mixing in the chalcogenide fiber. The idler conversion efficiency at the 5 µm waveband and the signal optical gain spectrum near 1.9 µm is calculated when the pump light is around 2.8 µm. Furthermore, the crosstalk of the FWM process from the other vector modes vanished due to the lower overlap factor compared with the interacting OAM modes. Our work demonstrates that the vortex beam at 5 µm could be generated, and its conversion efficiency can reach 21.96% with appropriate optimization.