Three-Octave Supercontinuum Generation Spanning from Ultraviolet in Lithium Tantalate Waveguides

TL;DR

This paper reports the first ultrabroad supercontinuum generation in lithium tantalate waveguides, spanning from ultraviolet to near-infrared, driven by femtosecond laser pulses, highlighting its potential for integrated photonics applications.

Contribution

First demonstration of three-octave supercontinuum generation in dispersion-engineered lithium tantalate waveguides with broad spectral coverage.

Findings

Spectral range from 240 nm to beyond 2400 nm achieved.

Supercontinuum driven by soliton fission and dispersive waves.

Potential for integrated photonics and spectroscopy applications.

Abstract

We demonstrate, for the first time, supercontinuum generation spanning more than three octaves in dispersion-engineered thin-film lithium tantalate (TFLT) waveguides. Pumped by a femtosecond laser at 1560 nm, the waveguides yield a spectrum from 240 nm in the ultraviolet to beyond 2400 nm in the near-infrared. The spectral evolution is mapped from low-power harmonic generation (second- and third-harmonic) to a high-power continuum driven by soliton fission and dispersive wave emission. This first demonstration of ultrabroadband nonlinear optics in TFLT establishes it as a competitive, low-loss platform for integrated photonics, with significant potential for applications in frequency metrology and on-chip spectroscopy.