Broadband quasi-phase-matching in dispersion-engineered all-optically poled silicon nitride waveguides

Quasi-phase-matching (QPM) has become one of the most common approaches for increasing the efficiency of nonlinear three-wave mixing processes in integrated photonic circuits. Here, we provide a study of dispersion engineering of QPM second-harmonic (SH) generation in stoichiometric silicon nitride (Si3N4) waveguides. We apply waveguide design and lithographic control in combination with the all-optical poling technique to study the QPM properties and shape the waveguide dispersion for broadband spectral conversion efficiency inside Si3N4 waveguides. By meeting the requirements for maximal bandwidth of the conversion efficiency spectrum, we demonstrate that group-velocity matching of the pump and SH is simultaneously satisfied, resulting in efficient SH generation from ultrashort optical pulses. The latter is employed for retrieving a carrier-envelope-offset frequency of a frequency comb by using an f - 2f interferometric technique, where supercontinuum and SH of a femtosecond pulse are generated in Si3N4 waveguides. Finally, we show that the waveguide dispersion determines the QPM wavelength variation magnitude and sign due to the thermo-optic effect. (C) 2020 Chinese Laser Press