An interferometric method for determining the losses of spatially multi-mode nonlinear waveguides based on second harmonic generation

TL;DR

This paper presents a novel interferometric method using second harmonic generation to measure losses in multi-mode nonlinear waveguides, overcoming limitations of traditional single-mode focused techniques.

Contribution

The authors introduce a Fabry-Pérot-based scheme that estimates losses of multiple spatial modes in nonlinear waveguides by analyzing second harmonic power spectra.

Findings

Successfully estimates second harmonic losses in multi-mode waveguides

Enables mode-specific loss characterization through spectral scanning

Validates method with lithium niobate waveguide measurements

Abstract

The characterisation of loss in optical waveguides is essential in understanding the performance of these devices and their limitations. Whilst interferometric-based methods generally provide the best results for low-loss waveguides, they are almost exclusively used to provide characterization in cases where the waveguide is spatially single-mode. Here, we introduce a Fabry-P\'erot-based scheme to estimate the losses of a nonlinear (birefringent or quasi-phase matched) waveguide at a wavelength where it is multi-mode. The method involves measuring the generated second harmonic power as the pump wavelength is scanned over the phasematching region. Furthermore, it is shown that this method allows one to infer the losses of different second harmonic spatial modes by scanning the pump field over the separated phase matching spectra. By fitting the measured phasematching spectra from a titanium indiffused lithium niobate waveguide sample to the model presented in this paper, it is shown that one can estimate the second harmonic losses of a single spatial-mode, at wavelengths where the waveguides are spatially multi-mode.