Ultrafast-nonlinear ultraviolet pulse modulation in an AlInGaN polariton waveguide operating up to room temperature
Journal article, 2021

Ultrafast nonlinear photonics enables a host of applications in advanced on-chip spectroscopy and information processing. These rely on a strong intensity dependent (nonlinear) refractive index capable of modulating optical pulses on sub-picosecond timescales and on length scales suitable for integrated photonics. Currently there is no platform that can provide this for the UV spectral range where broadband spectra generated by nonlinear modulation can pave the way to new on-chip ultrafast (bio-) chemical spectroscopy devices. We demonstrate the giant nonlinearity of UV hybrid light-matter states (exciton-polaritons) up to room temperature in an AlInGaN waveguide. We experimentally measure ultrafast nonlinear spectral broadening of UV pulses in a compact 100 μm long device and deduce a nonlinearity 1000 times that in common UV nonlinear materials and comparable to non-UV polariton devices. Our demonstration promises to underpin a new generation of integrated UV nonlinear light sources for advanced spectroscopy and measurement.

Author

D. M. Di Paola

University of Sheffield

P. M. Walker

University of Sheffield

R. P.A. Emmanuele

University of Sheffield

A. V. Yulin

ITMO University

Joachim Ciers

Chalmers, Microtechnology and Nanoscience (MC2), Photonics

Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne (EPFL)

Z. Zaidi

University of Sheffield

J. F. Carlin

Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne (EPFL)

Nicolas Grandjean

Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne (EPFL)

I. A. Shelykh

ITMO University

University of Iceland

M. S. Skolnick

University of Sheffield

ITMO University

R. Butté

Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne (EPFL)

D. N. Krizhanovskii

ITMO University

University of Sheffield

Nature Communications

2041-1723 (ISSN) 20411723 (eISSN)

Vol. 12 1 3504

Subject Categories

Atom and Molecular Physics and Optics

Other Physics Topics

Condensed Matter Physics

DOI

10.1038/s41467-021-23635-6

PubMed

34108471

More information

Latest update

6/23/2021