Quasi-Phase-Matching of Four-Wave-Mixing-Based Wavelength Conversion by Phase-Mismatch Switching

We propose a novel quasi-phase-matching scheme for achieving efficient four-wave-mixing (FWM)-based wavelength conversion in the presence of a large phase-mismatch. The scheme is based on respectively increasing and decreasing the propagation lengths over which there is FWM gain and FWM loss by switching between two different phase-mismatch values. We discuss how such a phase-mismatch switching (PMS) approach can be optimized for wavelength conversion and show that it can be realized in silicon-on-insulator strip waveguides by switching adiabatically between two waveguide widths along the propagation path. By means of numerical simulations we demonstrate that, for a pump wavelength of 1550 nm, PMS wavelength converters can enable efficient conversion (> -23 dB) around a target signal wavelength situated anywhere in the entire near-infrared wavelength domain of 1300-1900 nm.