Advanced Photonics, Volume. 4, Issue 3, 034001(2022)

Applications of thin-film lithium niobate in nonlinear integrated photonics

Milad Gholipour Vazimali1 and Sasan Fathpour1,2、*
Author Affiliations
  • 1University of Central Florida, CREOL, College of Optics and Photonics, Orlando, Florida, United States
  • 2University of Central Florida, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Orlando, Florida, United States
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    Figures & Tables(11)
    Comparison of optical mode areas, index contrast, and crystal orientations in (a) conventional LN waveguides and (b) thin-film LN waveguides.
    Crystal orientations and corresponding preferred polarization to achieve maximum efficiency for nonlinear processes in TFLN using [(a), (b)] quasi phase matching via periodic poling and [(c), (d)] modal phase matching.
    Various phase-matching methods used on the TFLN platform. (a) Birefringent phase-matching.59" target="_self" style="display: inline;">59 (b) Modal phase matching.60" target="_self" style="display: inline;">60 (c) Grating-assisted quasi phase matching or mode shape modulation.61" target="_self" style="display: inline;">61 (d) PPLN on a straight waveguide.13" target="_self" style="display: inline;">13 (e) Natural quasi phase matching, which is conceptually similar to cyclic phase-matching.62" target="_self" style="display: inline;">62 (f) Phase-matching-free metasurface.63" target="_self" style="display: inline;">63
    PPLN devices in different structures. (a) Straight waveguide.82" target="_self" style="display: inline;">82 (b) Racetrack resonator that is poled on one of the straight arms.83" target="_self" style="display: inline;">83 (c) Radially poled microring resonator.84" target="_self" style="display: inline;">84 (d) Radially poled microdisk, poled using the PFM technique in which they also demonstrated a poling period as small as 200 nm.85" target="_self" style="display: inline;">85
    Some of the schemes used for implementing cascaded χ(2) processes in TFLN and the corresponding harmonic generations. (a) Two PPLN sections with different poling periods to enable SHG/SFG cascading for a THG device and SHG/SHG for an FHG device.137" target="_self" style="display: inline;">137 (b) Dual-period PPLN microdisk with demonstrated THG and FHG.95" target="_self" style="display: inline;">95 (c) THG and FHG on a single PPLN device via pulse pumping.82" target="_self" style="display: inline;">82 (d) SHG and THG on a microdisk through cascaded SHG/SFG by taking advantage of the natural BPM.69" target="_self" style="display: inline;">69
    Using second-order nonlinear processes for generating OFCs on lithium niobate. (a) Quadratic frequency comb generation on conventional LN143" target="_self" style="display: inline;">143 using cascaded χ(2) processes, which has yet to be demonstrated on the TFLN platform. (b) Electro-optic frequency comb generation in TFLN using coupled microring and racetrack resonators and the resulting spectrum exhibiting a high conversion efficiency.148" target="_self" style="display: inline;">148
    SCG on the TFLN platform. (a) SCG spanning over two octaves in a dispersion engineered straight waveguide without poling.159" target="_self" style="display: inline;">159 (b) SCG on a periodically poled straight waveguide with a span of more than two octaves at a pulse energy of ∼11 pJ.139" target="_self" style="display: inline;">139 (c) Using cascaded SCG and SHG for on-chip f−2f self-referencing, which is of great importance for realization of on-chip OFCs.158" target="_self" style="display: inline;">158
    OFC generation in TFLN using the Kerr effect. (a) Conceptual schematic of a fully integrated soliton comb system in TFLN with all the required functionalities.161" target="_self" style="display: inline;">161 (b) Soliton Kerr comb generation spanning near one octave.162" target="_self" style="display: inline;">162 (c) Cascaded Kerr and EO combs with green lines corresponding to Kerr comb lines spanning over 200 nm.163" target="_self" style="display: inline;">163 (d) Zoomed in spectra of the cascaded Kerr and EO combs demonstrating that EO combs with much lower repetition rates fill the gap between Kerr combs.163" target="_self" style="display: inline;">163
    • Table 1. Optical properties of some of the materials used for second-order nonlinear applications.

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      Table 1. Optical properties of some of the materials used for second-order nonlinear applications.

      MaterialLargest dcoefficientRefractive index at 1550 nm
      LiNbO351d33=27  pm/V2.2
      AlN52d33=4.7  pm/V2.1
      GaAs51d36=119  pm/V3.4
      GaN53d33=16.5  pm/V2.3
    • Table 2. Performance of various devices based on straight waveguide structure for SHG using different phase-matching methods. Power values for the pump and SH wavelength and the absolute conversion efficiency (in %) correspond to the maximum normalized conversion efficiency and are not necessarily the maximum reported numbers in these papers.

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      Table 2. Performance of various devices based on straight waveguide structure for SHG using different phase-matching methods. Power values for the pump and SH wavelength and the absolute conversion efficiency (in %) correspond to the maximum normalized conversion efficiency and are not necessarily the maximum reported numbers in these papers.

      PM methodPump/SH powerLength%W1cm2%W1Absolute %
      BPM type-I5925  mW/67  μW2 cm2.710.70.27
      MPM type-067630  μW/140  nW2.35 mm650360.022
      PPLN type-0823  mW/370  nW300  μm46004.140.012
      PPLN type-088530  μW/2.7  μW5 mm3757939.250.5
      PPLN type-0861.5  mW/9.4  μW4 mm26004160.6
      PPLN type-0872.95  mW/31.6  μW4 mm22003521
      PPLN type-0896  mW/550  μW20 mm32012809
    • Table 3. Comparison of resonant-based structures for SHG using different phase-matching methods.

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      Table 3. Comparison of resonant-based structures for SHG using different phase-matching methods.

      StructurePM methodPump/SH powerQL at FW%W1Absolute %
      Microring60MPM type-0440  μW/2.9  μW1.4×10515000.65
      Microring84PPLN type-01.05  μW/56  nW1.8×1065×1065.3
      Microring90PPLN type-I55  μW/7.5  μW8×1052.5×10513.5
      Racetrack83PPLN type-05.6  μW/73  nW3.7×1052.3×1051.3
      Microdisk91CPM type-I10  mW/110  μW1.1×1051101.1
      Microdisk16NQPM type-030  μW/4.2  μW7.5×1074.7×10514
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    Milad Gholipour Vazimali, Sasan Fathpour. Applications of thin-film lithium niobate in nonlinear integrated photonics[J]. Advanced Photonics, 2022, 4(3): 034001

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    Paper Information

    Category: Reviews

    Received: Mar. 15, 2022

    Accepted: May. 3, 2022

    Posted: May. 6, 2022

    Published Online: Jun. 2, 2022

    The Author Email: Fathpour Sasan (fathpour@creol.ucf.edu)

    DOI:10.1117/1.AP.4.3.034001

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