Demonstration of optical nonlinearity in InGaAsP/InP passive waveguides

• DOI: 10.1016/j.optmat.2018.07.037
• Publication Date: 2018-07-25T22:51:53Z
• Authors: Shayan Saeidi; Payman Rasekh; Kashif M. Awan; Alperen Tüğen; Mikko J. Huttunen; Ksenia Dolgaleva
• Keywords: 0103 physical sciences; FOS: Physical sciences; 02 engineering and technology; 0210 nano-technology; 01 natural sciences; Physics - Optics; Optics (physics.optics)

We report on the study of the third-order nonlinear optical interactions in In$_{x}$Ga$_{1-x}$As$_{y}$P$_{1-y}$/InP strip-loaded waveguides. The material composition and waveguide structures were optimized for enhanced nonlinear optical interactions. We performed self-phase modulation, four-wave mixing and nonlinear absorption measurements at the pump wavelength 1568 nm in our waveguides. The nonlinear phase shift of up to $2.5��$ has been observed in self-phase modulation experiments. The measured value of the two-photon absorption coefficient $��_2$ was 15 cm/GW. The four-wave mixing conversion range, representing the wavelength difference between maximally separated signal and idler spectral components, was observed to be 45 nm. Our results indicate that InGaAsP has a high potential as a material platform for nonlinear photonic devices, provided that the operation wavelength range outside the two-photon absorption window is selected.