In this paper we present four-wave mixing (FWM) based parametric conversion experiments in p-i-n diode assisted silicon-on-insulator (SOI) nano-rib waveguides using continuous-wave (CW) light around 1550 nm wavelength. Using a reverse biased p-i-n waveguide diode we observe an increase of the wavelength conversion efficiency of more than 4.5 dB compared to low loss nano-rib waveguides without p-i-n junction, achieving a peak efficiency of −1 dB. Conversion efficiency improves also by more than 7 dB compared to previously reported experiments deploying 1.5 µm SOI waveguides with p-i-n structure. To the best of our knowledge, the observed peak conversion efficiency of −1dB is the highest CW efficiency in SOI reported so far.

© 2012 OSA

1. R. M. Osgood, N. C. Panoiu, J. I. Dadap, X. Liu, X. Chen, I.-W. Hsieh, E. Dulkeith, W. M. Green, and Y. A. Vlasov, “Engineering nonlinearities in nanoscale optical systems: physics and applications in dispersion-engineered silicon nanophotonic wires,” Adv. Opt. Photon.1, 162–235 (2009).
2. Q. Lin, O. J. Painter, and G. P. Agrawal, “Nonlinear optical phenomena in silicon waveguides: modeling and applications,” Opt. Express15(25), 16604–16644 (2007). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
3. Y. H. Kuo, H. Rong, V. Sih, S. Xu, M. Paniccia, and O. Cohen, “Demonstration of wavelength conversion at 40 Gb/s data rate in silicon waveguides,” Opt. Express14(24), 11721–11726 (2006). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
4. M. A. Foster, A. C. Turner, J. E. Sharping, B. S. Schmidt, M. Lipson, and A. L. Gaeta, “Broad-band optical parametric gain on a silicon photonic chip,” Nature441(7096), 960–963 (2006). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
5. M. A. Foster, A. C. Turner, R. Salem, M. Lipson, and A. L. Gaeta, “Broad-band continuous-wave parametric wavelength conversion in silicon nanowaveguides,” Opt. Express15(20), 12949–12958 (2007). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
6. W. Mathlouthi, H. Rong, and M. Paniccia, “Characterization of efficient wavelength conversion by four-wave mixing in sub-micron silicon waveguides,” Opt. Express16(21), 16735–16745 (2008). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
7. X. Liu, R. M. Osgood, Y. A. Vlasov, and W. M. J. Green, “Mid-infrared optical parametric amplifier using silicon nanophotonic waveguides,” Nat. Photonics4(8), 557–560 (2010). [CrossRef]
8. A. C. Turner-Foster, M. A. Foster, R. Salem, A. L. Gaeta, and M. Lipson, “Frequency conversion over two-thirds of an octave in silicon nanowaveguides,” Opt. Express18(3), 1904–1908 (2010). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
9. N. Ophir, J. Chan, K. Padmaraju, A. Biberman, A. C. Foster, M. A. Foster, M. Lipson, A. L. Gaeta, and K. Bergman, “Continuous wavelength conversion of 40-Gb/s data over 100 nm using a dispersion-engineered silicon waveguide,” IEEE Photon. Technol. Lett.23(2), 73–75 (2011). [CrossRef]
10. S. Zlatanovic, J. S. Park, F. Gholami, J. Chavez Boggio, S. Moro, N. Alic, S. Mookherjea, and S. Radic, “Mid-infrared wavelength conversion in silicon waveguides pumped by silica-fiber-based source,” IEEE J. Sel. Top. Quantum Electron.PP, 1–9 (2011).
11. J. R. Ong, M. L. Cooper, G. Gupta, W. M. J. Green, S. Assefa, F. Xia, and S. Mookherjea, “Low-power continuous-wave four-wave mixing in silicon coupled-resonator optical waveguides,” Opt. Lett.36(15), 2964–2966 (2011). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
12. R. Claps, D. Dimitropoulos, V. Raghunathan, Y. Han, and B. Jalali, “Observation of stimulated Raman amplification in silicon waveguides,” Opt. Express11(15), 1731–1739 (2003). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
13. M. Krause, H. Renner, and E. Brinkmeyer, “Analysis of Raman lasing characteristics in silicon-on-insulator waveguides,” Opt. Express12(23), 5703–5710 (2004). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
14. H. Rong, R. Jones, A. Liu, O. Cohen, D. Hak, A. Fang, and M. Paniccia, “A continuous-wave Raman silicon laser,” Nature433(7027), 725–728 (2005). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
15. H. Rong, S. Xu, Y. Kuo, V. Sih, O. Cohen, O. Raday, and M. Paniccia, “Low-threshold continuous-wave Raman silicon laser,” Nat. Photonics1(4), 232–237 (2007). [CrossRef]
16. B. Kuyken, X. Liu, R. M. Osgood, R. Baets, G. Roelkens, and W. M. J. Green, “Mid-infrared to telecom-band supercontinuum generation in highly nonlinear silicon-on-insulator wire waveguides,” Opt. Express19(21), 20172–20181 (2011). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
17. J. Leuthold, W. Freude, J. M. Brosi, R. Baets, P. Dumon, I. Biaggio, M. L. Scimeca, F. Diederich, B. Frank, and C. Koos, “Silicon organic hybrid technology-a platform for practical nonlinear optics,” Proc. IEEE97(7), 1304–1316 (2009). [CrossRef]
18. A. C. Turner-Foster, M. A. Foster, J. S. Levy, C. B. Poitras, R. Salem, A. L. Gaeta, and M. Lipson, “Ultrashort free-carrier lifetime in low-loss silicon nanowaveguides,” Opt. Express18(4), 3582–3591 (2010). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
19. A. Gajda, L. Zimmermann, J. Bruns, B. Tillack, and K. Petermann, “Design rules for p-i-n diode carriers sweeping in nano-rib waveguides on SOI,” Opt. Express19(10), 9915–9922 (2011). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
20. H. Tian, G. Winzer, A. Gajda, K. Petermann, B. Tillack, and L. Zimmermann, “Fabrication of low-loss SOI nano-waveguides including BEOL processes for nonlinear applications,” J. Eur. Opt. Soc. Rapid Publ. (to be published).
21. D. Vermeulen, S. Selvaraja, P. Verheyen, G. Lepage, W. Bogaerts, P. Absil, D. Van Thourhout, and G. Roelkens, “High-efficiency fiber-to-chip grating couplers realized using an advanced CMOS-compatible silicon-on-insulator platform,” Opt. Express18(17), 18278–18283 (2010). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
22. S. K. Selvaraja, W. Bogaerts, P. Absil, D. Van Thourhout, and R. Baets, “Record low-loss hybrid rib/wire waveguides for silicon photonic circuits,” Group IV Photonics proceedings 2010.

Adv. Opt. Photon.

• R. M. Osgood, N. C. Panoiu, J. I. Dadap, X. Liu, X. Chen, I.-W. Hsieh, E. Dulkeith, W. M. Green, and Y. A. Vlasov, “Engineering nonlinearities in nanoscale optical systems: physics and applications in dispersion-engineered silicon nanophotonic wires,” Adv. Opt. Photon.1, 162–235 (2009).

IEEE J. Sel. Top. Quantum Electron.

• S. Zlatanovic, J. S. Park, F. Gholami, J. Chavez Boggio, S. Moro, N. Alic, S. Mookherjea, and S. Radic, “Mid-infrared wavelength conversion in silicon waveguides pumped by silica-fiber-based source,” IEEE J. Sel. Top. Quantum Electron.PP, 1–9 (2011).

IEEE Photon. Technol. Lett.

• N. Ophir, J. Chan, K. Padmaraju, A. Biberman, A. C. Foster, M. A. Foster, M. Lipson, A. L. Gaeta, and K. Bergman, “Continuous wavelength conversion of 40-Gb/s data over 100 nm using a dispersion-engineered silicon waveguide,” IEEE Photon. Technol. Lett.23(2), 73–75 (2011). [CrossRef]

J. Eur. Opt. Soc. Rapid Publ.

• H. Tian, G. Winzer, A. Gajda, K. Petermann, B. Tillack, and L. Zimmermann, “Fabrication of low-loss SOI nano-waveguides including BEOL processes for nonlinear applications,” J. Eur. Opt. Soc. Rapid Publ. (to be published).

Nat. Photonics

• H. Rong, S. Xu, Y. Kuo, V. Sih, O. Cohen, O. Raday, and M. Paniccia, “Low-threshold continuous-wave Raman silicon laser,” Nat. Photonics1(4), 232–237 (2007). [CrossRef]
• X. Liu, R. M. Osgood, Y. A. Vlasov, and W. M. J. Green, “Mid-infrared optical parametric amplifier using silicon nanophotonic waveguides,” Nat. Photonics4(8), 557–560 (2010). [CrossRef]

Nature

• M. A. Foster, A. C. Turner, J. E. Sharping, B. S. Schmidt, M. Lipson, and A. L. Gaeta, “Broad-band optical parametric gain on a silicon photonic chip,” Nature441(7096), 960–963 (2006). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
• H. Rong, R. Jones, A. Liu, O. Cohen, D. Hak, A. Fang, and M. Paniccia, “A continuous-wave Raman silicon laser,” Nature433(7027), 725–728 (2005). [CrossRef] [PubMed]

Opt. Express

• R. Claps, D. Dimitropoulos, V. Raghunathan, Y. Han, and B. Jalali, “Observation of stimulated Raman amplification in silicon waveguides,” Opt. Express11(15), 1731–1739 (2003). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
• M. Krause, H. Renner, and E. Brinkmeyer, “Analysis of Raman lasing characteristics in silicon-on-insulator waveguides,” Opt. Express12(23), 5703–5710 (2004). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
• B. Kuyken, X. Liu, R. M. Osgood, R. Baets, G. Roelkens, and W. M. J. Green, “Mid-infrared to telecom-band supercontinuum generation in highly nonlinear silicon-on-insulator wire waveguides,” Opt. Express19(21), 20172–20181 (2011). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
• A. C. Turner-Foster, M. A. Foster, J. S. Levy, C. B. Poitras, R. Salem, A. L. Gaeta, and M. Lipson, “Ultrashort free-carrier lifetime in low-loss silicon nanowaveguides,” Opt. Express18(4), 3582–3591 (2010). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
• A. Gajda, L. Zimmermann, J. Bruns, B. Tillack, and K. Petermann, “Design rules for p-i-n diode carriers sweeping in nano-rib waveguides on SOI,” Opt. Express19(10), 9915–9922 (2011). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
• M. A. Foster, A. C. Turner, R. Salem, M. Lipson, and A. L. Gaeta, “Broad-band continuous-wave parametric wavelength conversion in silicon nanowaveguides,” Opt. Express15(20), 12949–12958 (2007). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
• W. Mathlouthi, H. Rong, and M. Paniccia, “Characterization of efficient wavelength conversion by four-wave mixing in sub-micron silicon waveguides,” Opt. Express16(21), 16735–16745 (2008). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
• Q. Lin, O. J. Painter, and G. P. Agrawal, “Nonlinear optical phenomena in silicon waveguides: modeling and applications,” Opt. Express15(25), 16604–16644 (2007). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
• Y. H. Kuo, H. Rong, V. Sih, S. Xu, M. Paniccia, and O. Cohen, “Demonstration of wavelength conversion at 40 Gb/s data rate in silicon waveguides,” Opt. Express14(24), 11721–11726 (2006). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
• A. C. Turner-Foster, M. A. Foster, R. Salem, A. L. Gaeta, and M. Lipson, “Frequency conversion over two-thirds of an octave in silicon nanowaveguides,” Opt. Express18(3), 1904–1908 (2010). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
• D. Vermeulen, S. Selvaraja, P. Verheyen, G. Lepage, W. Bogaerts, P. Absil, D. Van Thourhout, and G. Roelkens, “High-efficiency fiber-to-chip grating couplers realized using an advanced CMOS-compatible silicon-on-insulator platform,” Opt. Express18(17), 18278–18283 (2010). [CrossRef] [PubMed]

Opt. Lett.

• J. R. Ong, M. L. Cooper, G. Gupta, W. M. J. Green, S. Assefa, F. Xia, and S. Mookherjea, “Low-power continuous-wave four-wave mixing in silicon coupled-resonator optical waveguides,” Opt. Lett.36(15), 2964–2966 (2011). [CrossRef] [PubMed]

Proc. IEEE

• J. Leuthold, W. Freude, J. M. Brosi, R. Baets, P. Dumon, I. Biaggio, M. L. Scimeca, F. Diederich, B. Frank, and C. Koos, “Silicon organic hybrid technology-a platform for practical nonlinear optics,” Proc. IEEE97(7), 1304–1316 (2009). [CrossRef]

Other

• S. K. Selvaraja, W. Bogaerts, P. Absil, D. Van Thourhout, and R. Baets, “Record low-loss hybrid rib/wire waveguides for silicon photonic circuits,” Group IV Photonics proceedings 2010.

Click here to see a list of articles that cite this paper

Related Journal Articles

• Wavelength conversion in GaAs micro-ring resonators (OL)
• Leaky-waveguide configuration for quasi-phase-matched second-harmonic generation (JOSAB)
• Output power and spectrum of optical parametric generator in the superfluorescent regime (OL)
• Optical frequency conversion in integrated devices [Invited] (JOSAB)
• Complete pump depletion by autoresonant second harmonic generation in a nonuniform medium (JOSAB)

Related Conference Papers

• All-Optical Wavelength Conversion Based on Nonlinear Optical Effects in Si Wire Waveguides
• All-optical manipulation of light on a Silicon chip
• Silicon wire waveguides and their applications for microphotonics devices
• Switchable All-Optical 188-ps Delay Line in AlGaAs
• Switchable All-Optical 188-ps Delay Line in AlGaAs