Nonlinear wave mixing system with grating-assisted phase matching

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12306513-B2
Application number	US-202418584710-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 22, 2024
Priority date	Aug 31, 2022
Publication date	May 20, 2025
Grant date	May 20, 2025

Abstract

A nonlinear wave mixing system with grating assisted phase matching is provided. The system includes a pump laser and a nonlinear waveguide. The pump laser is used to generate pump light at a select wavelength. The nonlinear waveguide is configured to generate produced light from the pump light that is directed into the nonlinear waveguide. The nonlinear waveguide includes at least one backward grating that is configured to diffract the produced light in a backward direction relative to a direction the produced light travels in the nonlinear waveguide to reach the backward grating. The backward grating having a grating momentum that generates counter-propagating phase matching in the produced light.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method of forming a nonlinear wave mixing system with grating assisted phase matching, the method comprising:
determining a momentum of a backward grating needed to generate counter-propagating phase matching in produced light; and
forming the backward grating using the determined momentum of the backward grating in a nonlinear waveguide, the backward grating configured to diffract the produced light in a backward direction relative to a direction the produced light traveled in the nonlinear waveguide to reach the backward grating, the backward grating including at least one short period sidewall that provides a grating diffraction momentum that produces a phase matching condition.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the forming of the backward grating further comprises:
writing the backward grating into a lithography mask;
positioning the lithography mask on the nonlinear waveguide; and
using photolithographic techniques using the lithography mask.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the momentum of the backward grating further comprises:
using a finite difference time domain simulation tool to determine a momentum of pump light and the produced light, the nonlinear waveguide generating the produced light from the pump light.

4. The method of claim 3 , further wherein:
when the produced light is a down conversion light, determining the grating momentum by a pump photon momentum of the pump light plus a sum of momentum of down converted photons; and
when the produced light is a second-harmonic light, determining the grating momentum by two times the pump photon momentum of the pump light plus a second-harmonic momentum of the second-harmonic light.

Assignees

• Honeywell Int Inc

Inventors

• Puckett Matthew Wade
• Fertig Chad
• Robbins Matthew
• Salman Jad

Classifications

• G02F2201/305

  diffraction grating · CPC title

• G02F1/353

  Frequency conversion, i.e. wherein a light beam is generated with frequency components different from those of the incident light beams · CPC title

• G02F1/3534

  Three-wave interaction, e.g. sum-difference frequency generation (G02F1/3532 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G02F1/365

  in an optical waveguide structure (G02F1/377, {G02F1/395} take precedence) · CPC title

• G02F1/3544 Primary

  Particular phase matching techniques · CPC title