Abstract
Nonlinear photonic chips can generate and process signals all-optically with far superior performance to that possible electronically — particularly with respect to speed. Although silicon-on-insulator has been the leading platform for nonlinear optics, its high two-photon absorption at telecommunication wavelengths poses a fundamental limitation. We review recent progress in non-silicon CMOS-compatible platforms for nonlinear optics, with a focus on Si3N4 and Hydex®. These material systems have opened up many new capabilities such as on-chip optical frequency comb generation and ultrafast optical pulse generation and measurement. We highlight their potential future impact as well as the challenges to achieving practical solutions for many key applications.
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Acknowledgements
The authors acknowledge financial support from the Australian Research Council Discovery Project and the Centres of Excellence programme, the Canadian Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC), the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and the National Science Foundation. We would also like to thank A. Pasquazi and M. Peccianti for proofreading the manuscript.
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Moss, D., Morandotti, R., Gaeta, A. et al. New CMOS-compatible platforms based on silicon nitride and Hydex for nonlinear optics. Nature Photon 7, 597–607 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1038/nphoton.2013.183
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nphoton.2013.183
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