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Silicon-nitride-integrated hybrid optical fibers: a new platform for functional photonics

Silicon-nitride-integrated hybrid optical fibers: a new platform for functional photonics
Silicon-nitride-integrated hybrid optical fibers: a new platform for functional photonics

Hybrid optical fibers that integrate exotic materials within more traditional silica glass architectures open a route for the development of highly functional all-fiber photonic systems. Here, a compact hybrid optical fiber platform is reported formed by depositing a silicon nitride (SiN x - nitride-rich) nanolayer onto the surface of fused-silica microfibers via plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition. The SiN x thickness can be precisely tuned over a range of tens of nanometers, while maintaining an ultra-smooth deposition surface, allowing for tunable coupling between the modes guided predominantly in the nanolayer and the fiber core. The effective indices of the hybrid modes display an anti-crossing behavior under resonant conditions, resulting in a rich dispersion landscape that can be tailored via adjusting the SiN x thickness. By fabricating a SiN x-silica hybrid microfiber with precise dispersion engineering and a low insertion loss, a flat supercontinuum spectrum spanning >1.5 octaves (−20 dB level) has been generated. The results demonstrate that SiN x-silica hybrid microfibers can offer a unique combination of broadband transmission and wide tunablity of the mode properties, while still retaining the benefits of robust integration with conventional silica glass fiber networks, providing a rich playground for hybrid fiber-based photonic systems.

film deposition, hybrid photonic integration, microfiber tapering, silicon nitride, supercontinuum generation
1863-8880
Yan, Zhengyu
f751de7d-a2f0-48ad-b5af-c37296dc04ab
Xie, Shangran
d7a5c7a0-90a7-46a0-b658-99eab5c97130
Wang, Caoyuan
e40ad126-96a2-4354-a5e7-d5765fbb2f13
Xiong, Cong
b0980967-371e-49f3-97b3-4283aff7259d
Yu, Ruowei
ee538cc3-e4d2-471f-97a3-f29292d81cd4
Linghu, Shuangyi
e068cc03-1cb3-4888-88d2-d5e9f7f1eebd
Gu, Fuxing
06426d26-c561-4e6a-baf7-a28025b5271e
Xu, Hongtao
a8fafd88-e000-4ed8-abd4-0cb77dbdb671
An, Zhenhua
1db79c83-c285-4276-9d2e-79dd462feef1
Wu, Ming
c36af383-7ea7-449e-b432-6740de5b4a6e
Liu, Ai-Qun
1703bb8d-36bb-4917-ab44-283e31618b92
Hua, Ping
92fa76e2-970b-45f5-a459-d9f95e735303
Peacock, Anna
685d924c-ef6b-401b-a0bd-acf1f8e758fc
Xiao, Limin
85194080-e14b-448d-9fed-e80539c90854
Yan, Zhengyu
f751de7d-a2f0-48ad-b5af-c37296dc04ab
Xie, Shangran
d7a5c7a0-90a7-46a0-b658-99eab5c97130
Wang, Caoyuan
e40ad126-96a2-4354-a5e7-d5765fbb2f13
Xiong, Cong
b0980967-371e-49f3-97b3-4283aff7259d
Yu, Ruowei
ee538cc3-e4d2-471f-97a3-f29292d81cd4
Linghu, Shuangyi
e068cc03-1cb3-4888-88d2-d5e9f7f1eebd
Gu, Fuxing
06426d26-c561-4e6a-baf7-a28025b5271e
Xu, Hongtao
a8fafd88-e000-4ed8-abd4-0cb77dbdb671
An, Zhenhua
1db79c83-c285-4276-9d2e-79dd462feef1
Wu, Ming
c36af383-7ea7-449e-b432-6740de5b4a6e
Liu, Ai-Qun
1703bb8d-36bb-4917-ab44-283e31618b92
Hua, Ping
92fa76e2-970b-45f5-a459-d9f95e735303
Peacock, Anna
685d924c-ef6b-401b-a0bd-acf1f8e758fc
Xiao, Limin
85194080-e14b-448d-9fed-e80539c90854

Yan, Zhengyu, Xie, Shangran, Wang, Caoyuan, Xiong, Cong, Yu, Ruowei, Linghu, Shuangyi, Gu, Fuxing, Xu, Hongtao, An, Zhenhua, Wu, Ming, Liu, Ai-Qun, Hua, Ping, Peacock, Anna and Xiao, Limin (2024) Silicon-nitride-integrated hybrid optical fibers: a new platform for functional photonics. Laser & Photonics Reviews, [2400689]. (doi:10.1002/lpor.202400689).

Record type: Article

Abstract

Hybrid optical fibers that integrate exotic materials within more traditional silica glass architectures open a route for the development of highly functional all-fiber photonic systems. Here, a compact hybrid optical fiber platform is reported formed by depositing a silicon nitride (SiN x - nitride-rich) nanolayer onto the surface of fused-silica microfibers via plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition. The SiN x thickness can be precisely tuned over a range of tens of nanometers, while maintaining an ultra-smooth deposition surface, allowing for tunable coupling between the modes guided predominantly in the nanolayer and the fiber core. The effective indices of the hybrid modes display an anti-crossing behavior under resonant conditions, resulting in a rich dispersion landscape that can be tailored via adjusting the SiN x thickness. By fabricating a SiN x-silica hybrid microfiber with precise dispersion engineering and a low insertion loss, a flat supercontinuum spectrum spanning >1.5 octaves (−20 dB level) has been generated. The results demonstrate that SiN x-silica hybrid microfibers can offer a unique combination of broadband transmission and wide tunablity of the mode properties, while still retaining the benefits of robust integration with conventional silica glass fiber networks, providing a rich playground for hybrid fiber-based photonic systems.

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SiN_Fiber Manuscript_Final - Accepted Manuscript
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Accepted/In Press date: 17 November 2024
Published date: 27 November 2024
Keywords: film deposition, hybrid photonic integration, microfiber tapering, silicon nitride, supercontinuum generation

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 496970
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/496970
ISSN: 1863-8880
PURE UUID: 6779df62-18f9-4391-b713-f35b6f31fbf0
ORCID for Anna Peacock: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0002-1940-7172

Catalogue record

Date deposited: 08 Jan 2025 15:41
Last modified: 22 Aug 2025 01:50

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Contributors

Author: Zhengyu Yan
Author: Shangran Xie
Author: Caoyuan Wang
Author: Cong Xiong
Author: Ruowei Yu
Author: Shuangyi Linghu
Author: Fuxing Gu
Author: Hongtao Xu
Author: Zhenhua An
Author: Ming Wu
Author: Ai-Qun Liu
Author: Ping Hua
Author: Anna Peacock ORCID iD
Author: Limin Xiao

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