Four-wave mixing

About: Four-wave mixing is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 7530 publications have been published within this topic receiving 112702 citations.

Extended blue supercontinuum generation in cascaded holey fibers

Abstract: By combining multiple photonic crystal fibers with sequentially decreasing zero-dispersion wavelengths we have produced a 1.2?W average-power white-light continuum, covering the visible–near-infrared spectrum from 0.44to1.89??m (10?dB width), with an all-fiber picosecond ytterbium pump laser. Wavelengths as short as the ultraviolet (0.35??m), and spectral power densities of more than 2?mW?nm in the blue spectral region, have been generated. The process is understood in terms of optimizing four-wave mixing phase matching to enhance short-wavelength generation.

Nonlinear plasmonics with gold nanoparticle antennas

Abstract: We investigate the nonlinear optical properties of gold nanoparticle pairs. Two excitation beams of frequencies ω1 and ω2 are used to induce nonlinear polarizations at the junction of a particle dimer. Nonlinearities of the second and third order can be controllably induced as a function of the dimer geometry, leading predominantly to second-harmonic generation (SHG), sum frequency generation (SFG) and four-wave mixing (4WM). Due to their center symmetry, dimers with identical particle diameters give rise to a very weak second-order response, without affecting the third-order response. Therefore, a sharp probe functionalized with a symmetric metal dimer acts as a nanoscale photon source emitting narrow-band photons of frequency 2ω1 − ω2. We demonstrate that this source can be employed as a near-field optical probe for high-resolution fluorescence imaging.

Efficiency of broadband four-wave mixing wavelength conversion using semiconductor traveling-wave amplifiers

Abstract: We present a theoretical analysis and experimental measurements of broadband optical wavelength conversion by four-wave mixing in semiconductor traveling-wave amplifiers. In the theoretical analysis, we obtain an analytical expression for the conversion efficiency. In the experiments, both up and down-conversion efficiencies are measured as a function of wavelength shift for shifts up to 27 nm. The experimental data are well explained by the theoretical calculation. The observed higher conversion efficiency for wavelength down-conversion is believed to be caused by phase interferences that exist between various mechanisms contributing to the four-wave mixing process. >

Narrowband biphoton generation near atomic resonance

Abstract: Generating nonclassical light offers a benchmark tool for fundamental research and potential applications in quantum optics. Conventionally, it has become a standard technique to produce nonclassical light through the nonlinear optical processes occurring in nonlinear crystals. We describe this process using cold atomic-gas media to generate such nonclassical light, especially focusing on narrowband biphoton generation. Compared with the standard procedure the new biphoton source has such properties as long coherence time, long coherence length, high spectral brightness, and high conversion efficiency. Although there exist two methodologies describing the physical process, we concentrate on the theoretical aspect of the entangled two-photon state produced from the four-wave mixing in a multilevel atomic ensemble using perturbation theory. We show that both linear and nonlinear optical responses to the generated fields play an important role in determining the biphoton waveform and, consequently, on the two-photon temporal correlation. There are two characteristic regimes determined by whether the linear or nonlinear coherence time is dominant. In addition, our model provides a clear physical picture that brings insight into understanding biphoton optics with this new source. We apply our model to recent work on generating narrowband (and even subnatural linewidth) paired photons using the technique of electromagnetically induced transparency and slow-light effect in cold atoms and find good agreement with experimental results.

Doubly vibrationally enhanced four wave mixing: the optical analog to 2D NMR.

Abstract: We report the development of the four wave mixing vibrational analog to 2D NMR and demonstrate its spectral selectivity, sensitivity to the interactions causing mode coupling, and ability to spectrally resolve isotopic mixtures. The method discriminates against uncoupled vibrational modes and isolates the features that are associated with intra- or intermolecular interactions.