Optical Parametric Devices

Abstract

In this thesis, a continuous range of NIR generation from 1650nm to 2160nm, for the first time, has been experimentally demonstrated in a monolithic BRW semiconductor platform when pumped at non-degenerate wavelength. When pumped at degenerate wavelength, the wavelength conversion in BRW has experimentally shown a 3dB bandwidth of 100nm with -37dB conversion efficiency. The potential of optical parametric amplification in BRW is studied through NLSE solver and experimentally characterized. BRW diode laser, which is designed for self-pump process with pump power at least an order higher than external pump can achieve, is characterized for the laser and nonlinear performance and is shown to work at 780nm regime. Experimental results and simulation model suggests that self-pumping process is highly feasible and can operate at room temperature. To alleviate the difficulties self-pumping imposed on the phasematching, acceptance bandwidth enhancement from 0.5nm to 17nm through tapering is experimentally demonstrated.First, I would like to thank my supervisor, Professor Amr Helmy. His patience, tolerance, motivation, and support has guided me through these two years of academic development.His charm and words of wisdom have assisted me through difficult times and his expense has surely increased due to my influence in purchasing various items. This thesis would not be possible with his guidance and support.I would also like to thank my Thesis Committee, Professor Ted Sargent, Professor Nazir Kherani, and Professor Peter Lehn at University of Toronto, who have taken some of their precious time and agreed serving on the committee in such a late request. I greatly appreciate your time, kind words and your valuable comments. I am particularly grateful to Dr. Nima Zarein and Dr. Dongpeng Kang. They patiently taught me my experimental characterization skills and helped me through many of my misunderstanding of the theory in the research. I would also like to thank Dr.Osman Ahmed and Dr. ZhiZhong Yan for their expertise in research and knowledge that they have shared with me, Ryan Marchildon for teaching me about Quantum theory, PoHan Chang for the plasmonic theory that he will one day teach me, Rajiv Prinja for all the fabrication that he has done, Eric Chen for all the fabrication that he has done and will continually do, Yiwen Su for letting me take apart his setup again and again, Haoyu He for teaching me many things that I did not know about the characterization for the quantum theory, Grace Zhong for continually taking away my snacks in the drawer, Charles Lin, Herman Wong, and Steve Rutledge who all have helped me with miscellaneous things. To Basil Eleftheriades, whose last name I still cannot get it right, and also Gleb Egorov, whose last name I would never gotten it right, they have most certainly make this a much smoother journey. Thank you for all the people that have assisted me during my Master.To my brother, Jonathan, thank you for helping me during my years in Canada and for the many years to come. I own my dee...