2022/06/21 by Jennifer A. Black, Black, Jennifer A., Grant M. Brodnik +13
Engineering · Physics and Astronomy · #FOS: Physical sciences #Optics (physics.optics) #Photonic Crystals and Applications #Photonic and Optical Devices #Photorefractive and Nonlinear Optics
paper · pdf · doi:10.48550/arxiv.2206.10760
openalex publication_date 2022/06/21 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28
By design access to laser wavelength, especially with integrated photonics, is critical to advance quantum sensors like optical clocks and quantum-information systems, and open opportunities in optical communication. Semiconductor-laser gain provides exemplary efficiency and integration but merely in developed wavelength bands. Alternatively, nonlinear optics requires control of phase matching, but the principle of nonlinear conversion of a pump laser to a designed wavelength is extensible. We report on laser-wavelength access by versatile customization of optical-parametric oscillation (OPO) with a photonic-crystal resonator (PhCR). By controlling the bandgap of a PhCR, we enable OPO generation across a wavelength range of 1234-2093 nm with a 1550 nm pump and 1016-1110 nm with a 1064 nm pump. Moreover, our tunable laser platform offers pump-to-sideband conversion efficiency of >10% and negligible additive optical-frequency noise across the output range. From laser design to simulation of nonlinear dynamics, we use a Lugiato-Lefever framework that predicts the system characteristics, including bi-directional OPO generation in the PhCR and conversion efficiency in agreement with our observations. Our experiments introduce tunable lasers by design with PhCR OPOs, providing critical functionalities in integrated photonics.