@article{discovery1443006, month = {July}, volume = {39}, note = {This version is the author-accepted manuscript. For information on re-use, please refer to the publisher's terms and conditions.}, pages = {4017 -- 4020}, journal = {Optics Letters}, number = {13}, year = {2014}, title = {Wavelength conversion and parametric amplification of optical pulses via quasi-phase-matched four-wave mixing in long-period Bragg silicon waveguides}, issn = {0146-9592}, keywords = {Wavelength conversion devices; Nonlinear optical devices; Waveguides, channeled; Nonlinear optics, four-wave mixing; (190.4975) Parametric processes; Nonlinear optics, integrated optics.}, author = {Lavdas, S and Zhao, S and Panoiu, NC and Driscoll, JB and Grote, RR and Osgood, RM}, abstract = {We present a theoretical analysis supported by comprehensive numerical simulations of quasi-phase-matched fourwave mixing (FWM) of ultrashort optical pulses that propagate in weakly width-modulated silicon photonic nanowire gratings. Our study reveals that, by properly designing the optical waveguide such that the interacting pulses copropagate with the same group velocity, a conversion efficiency enhancement of more than 15 dB, as compared to a uniform waveguide, can readily be achieved. We also analyze the dependence of the conversion efficiency and FWM gain on the pulse width, time delay, walk-off parameter, and grating modulation depth. {\copyright} 2014 Optical Society of America.}, url = {https://doi.org/10.1364/OL.39.004017} }