Experimental Confirmation of the General Solution to the Multiple Phase Matching Problem

We recently described a general solution to the phase matching problem that arises when one wishes to perform an arbitrary number of nonlinear optical processes in a single medium [PRL 95 (2005) 133901]. Here we outline in detail the implementation of the solution for a one dimensional photonic quasicrystal which acts as a simultaneous frequency doubler for three independent optical beams. We confirm this solution experimentally using an electric field poled KTiOPO$_4$ crystal. In optimizing the device, we find - contrary to common practice - that simple duty cycles of 100% and 0% may yield the highest efficiencies, and show that our device is more efficient than a comparable device based on periodic quasi-phase-matching

Polychromatic solitons in a quadratic medium

We introduce the simplest model to describe parametric interactions in a quadratically nonlinear optical medium with the fundamental harmonic containing two components with (slightly) different carrier frequencies [which is a direct analog of wavelength-division multiplexed (WDM) models, well known in media with cubic nonlinearity]. The model takes a closed form with three different second-harmonic components, and it is formulated in the spatial domain. We demonstrate that the model supports both polychromatic solitons (PCSs), with all the components present in them, and two types of mutually orthogonal simple solitons, both types being stable in a broad parametric region. An essential peculiarity of PCS is that its power is much smaller than that of a simple (usual) soliton (taken at the same values of control parameters), which may be an advantage for experimental generation of PCSs. Collisions between the orthogonal simple solitons are simulated in detail, leading to the conclusion that the collisions are strongly inelastic, converting the simple solitons into polychromatic ones, and generating one or two additional PCSs. A collision velocity at which the inelastic effects are strongest is identified, and it is demonstrated that the collision may be used as a basis to design a simple all-optical XOR logic gate.Comment: 9 pages, 8 figures, accepted to Phys. Rev.

Engineering of spatial solitons in two-period QPM structures

We report on a scheme which might make it practically possible to engineer the effective competing nonlinearities that on average govern the light propagation in quasi-phase-matching (QPM) gratings. Modulation of the QPM period with a second longer period, introduces an extra degree of freedom, which can be used to engineer the effective quadratic and induced cubic nonlinearity. However, in contrast to former work here we use a simple phase-reversal grating for the modulation, which is practically realizable and has already been fabricated. Furthermore, we develop the theory for arbitrary relative lengths of the two periods and we consider the effect on solitons and the bandwidth for their generation. We derive an expression for the bandwidth of multicolor soliton generation in two-period QPM samples and we predict and confirm numerically that the bandwidth is broader in the two-period QPM sample than in homogeneous structures.Comment: V1: 15 pages, 8 figures. V2: Accepted for publication in Optics Communications.16 pages, 10 figures. New soliton content figures, confirming the theoretically predicted peak splitting in 2-period QPM, have been include

Multistep Parametric Processes in Nonlinear Optics

We present a comprehensive overview of different types of parametric interactions in nonlinear optics which are associated with simultaneous phase-matching of several optical processes in quadratic nonlinear media, the so-called multistep parametric interactions. We discuss a number of possibilities of double and multiple phase-matching in engineered structures with the sign-varying second-order nonlinear susceptibility, including (i) uniform and non-uniform quasi-phase-matched (QPM) periodic optical superlattices, (ii) phase-reversed and periodically chirped QPM structures, and (iii) uniform QPM structures in non-collinear geometry, including recently fabricated two-dimensional nonlinear quadratic photonic crystals. We also summarize the most important experimental results on the multi-frequency generation due to multistep parametric processes, and overview the physics and basic properties of multi-color optical parametric solitons generated by these parametric interactions.Comment: To be published in Progress in Optic