Supercontinuum generation in a nonlinear ultra-silicon-rich nitride waveguide

Supercontinuum generation is demonstrated in a 3-mm-long ultra-silicon-rich nitride (USRN) waveguide by launching 500 fs pulses centered at 1555 nm with a pulse energy of 17 pJ. The generated supercontinuum is experimentally characterized to possess a high spectral coherence, with an average |g(12)| exceeding 0.90 across the wavelength range of the coherence measurement (1260 nm to 1700 nm). Numerical simulations further indicate a high coherence over the full spectrum. The experimentally measured supercontinuum agrees well with the theoretical simulations based on the generalized nonlinear Schrodinger equation. The generated broadband spectra using 500 fs pulses possessing high spectral coherence provide a promising route for CMOS-compatible light sources for self-referencing applications, metrology, and imaging.

Automated summary

This study demonstrates the generation of supercontinuum in an ultra-silicon-rich nitride waveguide and reveals the high spectral coherence of the generated supercontinuum. The results indicate that pulses with high spectral coherence can be used for self-referencing applications, metrology, and imaging.