Dual-comb spectroscopy with tailored spectral broadening in Si3N4 nanophotonics

Si3N4 waveguides, pumped at 1550 nm, can provide spectrally smooth, broadband light for gas spectroscopy in the important 2 mu m to 2.5 mu m atmospheric water window, which is only partially accessible with silica-fiber based systems. By combining Er+ fiber frequency combs and supercontinuum generation in tailored Si3N4 waveguides, high signal-to-noise dual-comb spectroscopy spanning 2 mu m to 2.5 mu m is demonstrated. Acquired broadband dual-comb spectra of CO and CO2 agree well with database line shape models and have a spectral-signal-to-noise as high as 48/root s, showing that the high coherence between the two combs is retained in the Si3N4 supercontinuum generation. The dual-comb spectroscopy figure of merit is 6 x 10(6)/root s, equivalent to that of all-fiber dual-comb spectroscopy systems in the 1.6 mu m band. based on these results, future dual-comb spectroscopy can combine fiber comb technology with Si3N4 waveguides to access new spectral windows in a robust non-laboratory platform.