Efficient Raman amplification in silicon-on-insulator waveguides

We describe a silicon-on-insulator waveguide Raman amplifier which achieves a large fiber-to-fiber optical gain of 6.8 dB using stimulated Raman scattering in a 1.7-cm-long silicon waveguide. By using picosecond pulse pumping at 1557.4 nm wavelength, high net optical gain at the first-order Stokes wavelength of 1694.6 nm was measured. The optical loss from two-photon absorption generated free carriers was reduced by using a low pulse duty cycle and picosecond pulse pumping. (C) 2004 American Institute of Physics.