Direct measurement of cascaded nonlinearity in lithium niobate channel waveguides

Highly coherent mid-IR supercontinuum by self-defocusing solitons in lithium niobate waveguides with all-normal dispersion

We numerically investigate self-defocusing solitons in a lithium niobate (LN) waveguide designed to have a large refractive index (RI) change. The waveguide evokes strong waveguide dispersion and all-normal dispersion is found in the entire guiding band spanning the near-IR and the beginning of the mid-IR. Meanwhile, a self-defocusing nonlinearity is invoked by the cascaded (phase-mismatched) second-harmonic generation under a quasi-phase-matching pitch. Combining this with the all-normal dispersion, mid-IR solitons can form and the waveguide presents the first all-nonlinear and solitonic device where no linear dispersion (i.e. non-solitonic) regimes exist within the guiding band. Soliton compressions at 2 μm and 3 μm are investigated, with nano-joule single cycle pulse formations and highly coherent octave-spanning supercontinuum generations. With an alternative design on the waveguide dispersion, the soliton spectral tunneling effect is also investigated, with which few-cycle pico-joule pulses at 2 μm are formed by a near-IR pump.

Measurement of the nonlinear phase shift induced by cascaded interactions in a periodically poled lithium niobate waveguide

We report on the measurement of nonlinear phase shift phiNL induced by a strong pump at wavelength lamda p on a weak signal at lamda s through a cascade of two second-order interactions in a periodically poled lithium-niobate waveguide. The experiment is performed by use of an interferometric scheme especially designed to be insensitive to slow mechanical and thermal drift effects. The observed behavior of phiNL as a function of pump power and of wavelength difference lamda p - lamda s, is in good agreement with the theoretical predictions.

Two-dimensional solitons in quasi-phase-matched quadratic crystals

We study the existence and dynamics of two-dimensional spatial solitons in crystals that exhibit a periodic modulation of both the refractive index and the second-order susceptibility for achieving quasi-phase-matching. Far from resonances between the domain length of the periodic crystal and the diffraction length of the beams, it is demonstrated that the properties of the solitons in this quasi-phase-matched geometry are strongly influenced by the induced third-order nonlinearities. The stability properties of the two-dimensional solitons are analyzed as a function of the total power, the effective wave-vector mismatch between the first and second harmonics, and the relative strength between the induced third-order nonlinearity and the effective second-order nonlinearity. Finally, the formation of two-dimensional solitons from a Gaussian beam excitation is investigated numerically.

Nonlinear ellipsometric method for measuring second-order cascaded phase shift

An ellipsometric method for measuring second-order cascaded phase shift is experimentally demonstrated in a KNbO(3) single crystal. We analyze the polarization state composed of the two orthogonal polarizations of the transmitted fundamental wave, one of which experiences intensity-dependent depletion and phase shift while the other does not. This method does not require a well-defined beam profile or interferometric stability.

Large nonlinear phase shif towing to cascaded chi((2)) in quasi-phase-matched bulk LiNbO(3)

Large nonresonant effective nonlinear indices that are due to cascading have been observed by Z-scan and CCD camera measurements performed on quasi-phase-matched LiNbO(3). Positive and negative values of n(cascad)(2) were measured at temperatures symmetrically displayed with respect to the optimum phase-matching temperatures (2.39 x 10(-13) and -2.37 x 10(-13)cm(2)/W, respectively).

All-optical switching in lithium niobate directional couplers with cascaded nonlinearity

We report on intensity-dependent switching in lithium niobate directional couplers. Large nonlinear phase shifts that are due to cascading detune the coupling between the coupler branches, which makes all-optical switching possible. Depending on the input intensity, the output could be switched between the cross and the bar coupler branches with a switching ratio of 1:5 and a throughput of 80%.