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Journal of Lightwave Technology

Quasi-phase-matched (QPM) difference frequency generation in a mirrorless counterpropagating configuration

Yi-qiang Qin, Silvia Maria Pietralunga, Mario Martinelli

Published Sep 1, 2001• 6 citations
Publisher

Abstract

We present a theoretical analysis of second-order nonlinear difference frequency generation (DFG) in a generalized mirrorless quasi-phase-matching (QPM) frame, aimed at a comparison of counterpropagating DFG configuration (CDFG) to other DFG schemes, in view of all-optical processing applications. Field nonlinear coupling equations have been numerically solved under the hypothesis of phase-matched interaction. The evolution of propagating fields within the material and the wavelength conversion efficiency have been calculated in dependence of operating parameters. The increased complexity in the evolution of amplitude and phase for fields interacting in CDFG with respect to forward-propagating DFG (FDFG) is at the basis of a dramatic increase in the wavelength conversion efficiency under particular settings of device parameters.

DOI
10.1109/50.948277

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Journal of the Optical Society of America B•Apr 1, 2001•54 citations
We present a theoretical analysis of second-order nonlinear difference frequency generation (DFG) in a generalized mirrorless quasi-phase-matching (QPM) frame, aimed at a comparison of counterpropagating DFG configuration (CDFG) to other DFG schemes, in view of all-optical processing applications. Field nonlinear coupling equations have been numerically solved under the hypothesis of phase-matched interaction. The evolution of propagating fields within the material and the wavelength conversion efficiency have been calculated in dependence of operating parameters. The increased complexity in the evolution of amplitude and phase for fields interacting in CDFG with respect to forward-propagating DFG (FDFG) is at the basis of a dramatic increase in the wavelength conversion efficiency under particular settings of device parameters.
Cascaded second-order nonlinear interaction (&chi(2));based wavelength conversion technique has attracted much attention due to its unique characteristics such as low noise and broadband, which are critical in fiber communication networks. In this report, wavelength conversions based on the newly proposed SFG-DFG (sum frequency generation - difference frequency generation) and conventional SHG-DFG (second harmonic generation - difference frequency generation) are studied and compared both experimentally and theoretically in a LiNbO3 quasi-phase matched (QPM) waveguide. It is shown that the same conversion efficiency can be achieved by employing two pump sources with only half power each (P1, P2) in the SFG-DFG scheme as compared with the SHG-DFG scheme with a single higher power pump beam (P=P1+P2). It is shown that the cascaded SFG-DFG based wavelength conversion has a larger 3-dB pump tolerance bandwidth. The theoretical results are consistent well with the experimental ones. It is found that the pump wavelength difference can be separated by a span as large as 75 nm, while 3-dB signal conversion efficiency is retained in a 45 mm-long device. It is also exhibited that tolerance of temperature for the cascaded SFG-DFG remains the same as that of the cascaded SHG-DFG based devices. The results show that the SFG-DFG wavelength conversion scheme is very attractive for practical applications.
Difference-frequency generation (DFG) and cascaded second-order nonlinear interaction (χ(2)) based wavelength conversions in LiNbO3 quasi-phase-matched waveguides were studied systematically. The characteristics of the two conversion methods, such as conversion efficiency, conversion bandwidth, pump-wavelength tolerance, and temperature stability, were compared with both experimental and theoretical results of MgO-doped quasi-phase-matched waveguides. It was found that for shorter device length and lower pump power, DFG based wavelength converters had higher conversion efficiency, and the cascaded χ(2) based wavelength conversions had slightly wider 3-dB signal-conversion bandwidth. The 3-dB signal wavelength-conversion bandwidth decreased exponentially with an increase in device length. For long devices and high pump power, however, the efficiency difference between the cascaded χ(2) based conversions and DFG based ones was minor. Tolerance of pump wavelength for the cascaded χ(2) based wavelength conversions was approximately two times that of DFG-based ones, which decreases with the increase of device length. In both cases, the tolerance of pump wavelength exponentially decreased with an increase of device length. It was found that the temperature stability of the cascaded χ(2) based conversions was identical to that of DFG based conversions. These results are very helpful in choosing suitable wavelength converters for practical optical communication systems.
A configuration for wavelength conversion and optical amplification by parametric interaction using a nonlinear optical device is proposed. It enables pump generation through second harmonic generation (SHG), difference frequency generation (DFG), and optical parametric amplification (OPA) using a multiple-quasi-phase-matched (M-QPM) LiNbO3 waveguide in a bidirectional manner. Wavelength conversion for the 1.4–1.6 µm band is experimentally demonstrated. In addition, it is demonstrated that the parametric gain band can be changed using various detunings between the pump and QPM wavelengths used for the DFG/OPA process. The proposed method would be useful for enabling high-capacity optical transmission outside the 1550-nm band.
Different frequency generation (DFG) and the cascaded second-order nonlinear interaction () based wavelength conversions in 5-mol MgO doped LiNbO3 QPM waveguides are studied and compared both experimentally and theoretically for the first time. It is shown that DFG based wavelength conversions have a higher conversion efficiency; while the cascaded based wavelength conversions have a wider 3-dB signal conversion bandwidth. It is also exhibited that the simulations are consistent well with the experimental results. Tolerance of pump wavelength for the cascaded based wavelength conversion is twice as large as that of DFG based devices. These results are very helpful in choosing suitable wavelength converters for practical optical communication systems according to the system requirements.
The implementation of wavelength conversion around 1.55 μm in quasi-phase-matched (QPM) periodically poled LiNbO3 (PPLN) waveguides is mostly based on the cascaded second-harmonic generation/difference-frequency generation (SHG/DFG) process. As usual, a continuous wave (CW) and a pulsed wave are injected into a PPLN waveguide. Of them, the pulsed wave is regarded as the information carrier, and the CW is taken as the control. To transfer the information of optical codes from one wavelength to another, the codes can be applied to either the signal (CW-pumped scheme) or the pump (pulse-pumped scheme). In this work, the temporal and spectral properties of wavelength conversions during pulse propagation as well as the conversion efficiency in the two pumping schemes were compared experimentally and theoretically under different conditions of input pulse width, pump power and pump central wavelength. In the experiments, we adopted an MgO-doped PPLN waveguide, and a 40-GHz tunable picosecond-pulse source. The conversion characteristics were systematically investigated when the CW and the pulsed wave were alternatively taken as the pump at the quasi-phase-matching wavelength of the device. In the theory, we solved the coupled-mode equations and explained the physical insights for the numerical results and experimental observations. The conversion properties of the two pumping schemes were quantitatively compared. The simulated results agree well with the experimental data, and the obtained results provide some guidelines for the design and application of QPM waveguides in wavelength conversion.
We present a theory of ultrashort-pulse difference-frequency generation (DFG) with quasi-phase-matching (QPM) gratings in the undepleted-pump, unamplified-signal approximation. In the special case of a cw (or quasi-cw) pump, the spectrum of the generated idler is related to the spectrum of the signal through a transfer-function relation that is valid for arbitrary dispersion in the medium. The engineerability of this QPM-DFG transfer function establishes the basis for arbitrary pulse shaping. Experimentally we demonstrate QPM-DFG devices operating in a frequency-degenerate type II configuration and producing pulse-shaped output at 1550 nm from 220-fs pulses at 1550 nm.