Enhanced White Light Sources Using Stimulated Rogue Wave Phenomenon

目的：我们建议研究和利用一种新形式的超连续谱产生，以产生具有高稳定性和/或低发电要求的新型宽带辐射源。这些源将对包括成像、通信和光谱学在内的应用产生重大影响。智力优势：最近的实验已经确定了一种新的现象，称为光学流氓波，高度罕见的，强烈的短脉冲，宽带光在数学上和物理上类似于臭名昭著的海浪，通过光纤传播[Solli等人，Nature 450，1054（2007）]。对这些事件的实时捕获表明，它们遵循极值统计。随后的工作已经表明，可以通过受激超连续谱产生来主动控制光学流氓波以产生增强的宽带光源[Solli等人，物理修订信函101，233902（2008）].更广泛的影响：在现有的超连续谱源方面，特别是在可见光和近红外波长方面，存在着实际和功能上的技术差距。现有的源要么产生不稳定的超连续谱，要么难以在受管制的实验室环境之外部署。本研究的目的是利用受激超连续谱产生，一个新的物理概念的灵感来自自然，以产生高品质，紧凑，并可能低成本的白色光源在可见光/近红外波长。本研究还试图在硅波导中应用受激超连续谱产生，以克服显著限制芯片级光谱展宽的物理效应。这项研究工作涉及尖端的光学和电子实验工作，模拟和理论分析。它将为学生和博士后学者提供在工业和学术工作场所都非常理想的多功能技能。

Objective: We propose to study and harness a new form of supercontinuum generation to produce novel sources of broadband radiation with high stability and/or low power generation requirements. Such sources would have a significant impact on applications, including imaging, communications, and spectroscopy. Intellectual Merit: Recent experiments have identified a new phenomenon known as optical rogue waves, highly-rare, brief pulses of intense, broadband light mathematically and physically analogous to infamous ocean waves,propagating through optical fiber [Solli et al., Nature 450, 1054 (2007)]. Real-time capture of these events has shown they follow extreme-value statistics. Subsequent work has shown that optical rogue waves can be actively controlled to produce enhanced broadband light sources through stimulated supercontinuum generation [Solli et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 101, 233902 (2008)].Broader Impact: There is a practical and functional technology gap in available supercontinuum sources, particularly at visible and near-IR wavelengths. Existing sources either produce unstable supercontinuum or are difficult to deploy outside of regulated laboratory environments. This research aims to utilize stimulated supercontinuum generation, a new physical concept inspired by nature, to produce high-quality, compact, and potentially low-cost white light sources at visible/near-IR wavelengths. This research also seeks to apply stimulated supercontinuum generation in silicon waveguides in order to overcome physical effects that have significantly limited chip-scale spectral broadening.This research effort involves cutting-edge optical and electronic experimental work, simulations, and theoretical analysis. It will provide students and postdoctoral scholars with versatile skills that are highly desirable in both the industrial and academic workplaces.