Ultra-broadband mid-infrared generation in dispersion-engineered thin-film lithium niobate

A method of generating mid-infrared radiation, the method comprising:

• pumping a fixed wave and a tunable signal wave to a thin film quadratic nonlinear waveguide formed on a mid-infrared transparent cladding by a thin film material of a predetermined film thickness, the thin film quadratic nonlinear waveguide having a predetermined etch depth and a predetermined top width;
• generating, by the thin film quadratic nonlinear waveguide based on tuning of at least one of the predetermined film thickness, the predetermined etch depth, and the predetermined top width, a coherent idler wave as a mid-infrared radiation from the fixed wave and the tunable signal wave;
• and
• performing, by the thin film quadratic nonlinear waveguide based on the tuning of at least one of the predetermined film thickness, the predetermined etch depth, and the predetermined top width, an optical parametric amplification of either the tunable signal wave or the coherent idler wave, both the tunable signal wave and the coherent idler wave being broadly tunable in presence of the fixed pump wave and for a poling period and a temperature.

A method of manufacturing a device for generating mid-infrared radiation, the method comprising:

• forming a thin film quadratic nonlinear waveguide on a mid-infrared transparent cladding by a thin film material, the thin film quadratic nonlinear waveguide having an etch depth and a top width;
• tuning at least one of a film thickness of the thin film material, the etch depth, and the top width for the device to generate a coherent idler wave as a mid-infrared radiation from a fixed pump wave and a tunable signal wave;
• and
• tuning at least one of the film thickness, the etch depth, and the top width such that an optical parametric amplification of either the tunable signal wave or the coherent idler wave, both the tunable signal wave and the coherent idler wave being broadly tunable in presence of the fixed pump wave and for a poling period and a temperature.