Unidirectional frequency conversion in microring resonators for on-chip frequency-multiplexed single-photon sources

Microring resonators are attractive for low-power frequency conversion via Bragg-scattering four-wave-mixing due to their comb-like resonance spectrum. However, conversion efficiency is limited to 50% due to the equal probability of up- and down-conversion. Here, we demonstrate how two coupled microrings enable highly directional conversion between the spectral modes of one of the rings. An extinction between up- and down-conversion of more than 40 dB is experimentally observed. Based on this method, we propose a design for on-chip multiplexed single-photon sources that allow localized frequency modes to be converted into propagating continuous-mode photon wave packets using a single operation. The key is that frequency conversion works as a switch on both spatial and spectral degrees of freedom of photons if the microring is interferometrically coupled to a bus waveguide. Our numerical results show 99% conversion efficiency into a propagating mode with a wave packet having a 90% overlap with a Gaussian for a ratio between intrinsic and coupling quality factors of 400

Broadband wavelength conversion in a silicon vertical-dual-slot waveguide

We propose a silicon waveguide structure employing silica-filled vertical-dual slots for broadband wavelength conversion, which can be fabricated using simple silicon-on-insulator technology. We demonstrate group-velocity dispersion tailoring by varying the width of the core, the slots and the side strips, and put forward a method to achieve spectrally-flattened near-zero anomalous group-velocity dispersion at telecom wavelengths. A proposed structure provides a group-velocity dispersion parameter β2 of −60 ps2/km with an e ective mode area Aeff of 0.075 µm2 at 1550 nm. This structure is predicted to significantly broaden the bandwidth of wavelength conversion via four-wave mixing, which is validated with experimentally measured 3 dB bandwidth of 76 nm