Nonlinear optics has not stopped evolving, offering opportunities to develop novel functionalities in photonics. Supercontinuum generation, a nonlinear optical phenomenon responsible for extreme spectral broadening, attracts the interest of researchers due to its high potential in many applications, including sensing, imaging, or optical communications. In particular, with the emergence of silicon photonics, integrated supercontinuum sources in silicon platforms have seen tremendous progress during the past decades. This article aims at giving an overview of supercontinuum generation in three main silicon-compatible photonics platforms, namely, silicon, silicon germanium, and silicon nitride, as well as the essential theoretical elements to understand this fascinating phenomenon.
Christian Lafforgue, Miguel Montesinos-Ballester, Thi-Thuy-Duong Dinh, Xavier Le Roux, Eric Cassan, Delphine Marris-Morini, Carlos Alonso-Ramos, Laurent Vivien. Supercontinuum generation in silicon photonics platforms[J]. Photonics Research, 2022, 10(3): A43