Researchers from the State Key Laboratory of Advanced Optical Communication Systems and Networks at Shanghai Jiao Tong University, led by Lingfang Wang, have made a significant advancement in the field of nonlinear optics. Their work, published in the journal Optica, demonstrates a new platform for generating a broad spectrum of light, which could have practical applications in the energy sector, particularly in sensing and monitoring technologies.
The team has successfully generated a supercontinuum, a broad spectrum of light, spanning more than three octaves in thin-film lithium tantalite (TFLT) waveguides. This is the first time such a broad spectrum has been achieved in this material. The waveguides were pumped by a femtosecond laser at 1560 nm, resulting in a spectrum that ranges from 240 nm in the ultraviolet to beyond 2400 nm in the near-infrared.
The researchers mapped the spectral evolution from low-power harmonic generation to a high-power continuum driven by soliton fission and dispersive wave emission. This means that at low power, the laser light is converted into its second and third harmonics, but as the power increases, the light breaks up into solitons, which are stable pulses of light, and emits dispersive waves, leading to a broad continuum of light.
This breakthrough establishes TFLT as a competitive, low-loss platform for integrated photonics. Integrated photonics is a field that aims to integrate multiple photonic functions into a single chip, similar to how integrated circuits work in electronics. The ability to generate a broad spectrum of light on a chip could have significant implications for the energy sector.
One potential application is in frequency metrology, which is the science of measuring frequencies. This could be used to develop highly accurate sensors for monitoring energy systems, such as power plants or grids, to ensure they are operating efficiently and safely. Another application is in on-chip spectroscopy, which is the study of the interaction between matter and electromagnetic radiation. This could be used to develop portable, chip-based sensors for monitoring air quality or detecting leaks in pipelines.
In summary, the researchers have demonstrated a new platform for generating a broad spectrum of light on a chip, which could have significant applications in the energy sector. This work represents a significant advancement in the field of nonlinear optics and integrated photonics.
This article is based on research available at arXiv.