Cross-polarized stimulated Brillouin scattering empowered photonics

Abstract

This paper explores the integration of cross-polarized stimulated Brillouin scattering (XP-SBS) with Kerr and quadratic nonlinearities in lithium niobate (LN) to enhance photonic device performance. Three novel applications are demonstrated: (i) a reconfigurable stimulated Brillouin laser (SBL) with 0.7-Hz narrow linewidth and 40-nm tunability, enabled by XP-SBS’s thermo-optic phase matching; (ii) an efficient coherent mode converter achieving 55% conversion efficiency via intracavity Brillouin-enhanced four-wave mixing; (iii) a Brillouin-quadratic laser and frequency comb operational in near-infrared and visible bands, benefiting from the interaction between XP-SBS and quadratic nonlinearity. These advancements promise significant improvements in photonic technologies, including narrow-linewidth laser, microcomb generation, precision metrology, and optical signal processing, paving the way for more robust and versatile applications.