Developing chip-integrated optical parametric oscillators as visible and near-infrared lasers

Chip-integrated lasers in the visible and near-infrared are important to the further development of many quantum technologies, including quantum sensors, clocks, and single- and entangled-photon pair sources. On-chip microresonator optical parametric oscillation can be a compelling way to create lasers across a broad range of wavelengths. Here a single pump laser technology can create parametric oscillators whose output wavelengths are controlled by the nonlinear resonator geometry, which dictates phase- and frequency-matching. 

In a recent article featured as an Editor's Pick in APL Photonics, we demonstrate chip-integrated optical parametric oscillators whose output wavelengths range anywhere between 590 nm and 1150 nm. By improving resonator-waveguide coupling relative to our earlier work, we are able to realize on-chip output power above 1 mW across this entire range, with output powers as high as 5 mW achieved at conversion efficiencies as high as 15 %.  

This work has also been highlighted by NIST.