Harnessing second-order optical nonlinearities at interfaces in multilayer silicon-oxy-nitride waveguides.

We demonstrate multi-layer silicon-oxy-nitride (SiON) waveguides as a platform for broadband tunable phase-matching of second-order nonlinear interactions arising at material interfaces. Second-harmonic generation (SHG) is measured with a 2 ps pulsed pump of 1515-1535 nm wavelength, where 6 nW power is generated by an average pump power of 30 mW in a 0.92 mm long device. The wavelength acceptance bandwidth of the SHG is as broad as 20 nm due to the low material dispersion of SiON waveguides. The waveguide structure provides a viable method for utilizing second order nonlinearity for light generation and manipulation in silicon photonic circuits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]