Cascaded counter-propagating nonlinear interactions in highly-efficient sub-µm periodically poled crystals
Abstract Mirrorless optical parametric oscillators (MOPOs) are very attractive parametric devices that rely on the nonlinear interaction of counter-propagating photons to inherently establish distributed feedback, without the use of external mirrors or surface coatings. These devices offer unique sp...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Nature Portfolio
2017-08-01
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| Series: | Scientific Reports |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-017-07016-y |
| Summary: | Abstract Mirrorless optical parametric oscillators (MOPOs) are very attractive parametric devices that rely on the nonlinear interaction of counter-propagating photons to inherently establish distributed feedback, without the use of external mirrors or surface coatings. These devices offer unique spectral and coherence properties that will benefit a large variety of applications ranging from spectroscopy to quantum communications. The major obstacle in exploiting their full potential is ascribed to the difficulty in engineering a nonlinear material in which the generation of counter-propagating waves can be phase matched. Here we present a reliable and consistent technique for fabrication of highly-efficient sub-micrometer periodically poled Rb-doped KTiOPO4. We experimentally demonstrate the first cascaded counter-propagating interactions in which the generated forward signal serves as a pump for a secondary MOPO process, reaching pump depletion larger than 60%. The cascaded process exemplifies the high efficiency of our nonlinear photonic structures. Our domain-engineering technique paves the way to realize counter-propagating schemes and devices that have been deemed unfeasible until now. |
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| ISSN: | 2045-2322 |