Fabrication of strong long-period gratings in hydrogen-free fibers with 157-nm F2-laser radiation

Long-period gratings were fabricated in standard telecommunication fiber (Corning SMF-28) by use of what is believed to be record short-wavelength light from a 157-nm F(2) laser. Strong loss peaks were formed without the need for enhancement techniques such as hydrogen loading. The magnitude of the attenuation peak was sensitive to the single-pulse laser fluence, decreasing with increasing pulse fluence as a result of nonuniform 157-nm laser interaction with both the fiber cladding and core. The long-period fiber gratings have good wavelength stability (Dlambda~7 nm) under thermal annealing at 150 degrees C.     

基于增强瑞利反馈的单模窄线宽随机激光器

仿真说明了单模光纤(SMF)中瑞利散射(RS)的机理, 指出纤芯掺杂的不均匀性以及拉丝过程引起的光纤几何尺寸的随机变化是光纤中RS产生的主要原因, 并以此为基础制作了损耗为0.54 dB/km的散射光纤. 在通信波段, 5 km该散射光纤的瑞利背向散射(RBS)强度高于相同长度的SMF-28近5 dB. 在基于RBS单模随机激光器的数值模拟中, 大量的具有随机幅度和相位的纵模在经历不平坦增益的多次放大之后, 只有在增益最大点附近的模式能够克服损耗成为输出模式. 实验中以掺铒光纤作为增益介质, 500 m散射光纤提供随机反馈, 窄带布拉格光纤光栅(FBG)作为波长选择器件, 得到线宽约3.5 kHz、对比度近50 dB的单模激光输出. 与采用相同长度SMF-28的随机激光器相比, 其阈值电流降低了80 mA, 相同抽运条件下的最大输出功率提高了3 dBm. 该单模窄线宽随机激光器的输出波长的调谐特性仅由FBG的中心波长决定.     

Fabrication of multimode interference waveguides in glass by use of a femtosecond laser

We report on the fabrication of multimode interference (MMI) waveguides that split single-mode light into multimode light in synthesized silica by use of femtosecond laser pulses. The number of modes at the output facet is dependent on both the width and the length of the MMI waveguides. The output spectral responses of the MMI waveguides in the visible region were examined. The fabricated MMI waveguides can be used as compact power splitters with large fan-outs.     

Supercontinuum generation in a standard fiber pumped by noise-like pulses from a figure-eight fiber laser

We report the experimental study of broadband spectrum generation in a piece of standard fiber (SMF-28) using as the pump a train of noise-like pulses, or sub-nanosecond packets of sub-ps pulses with randomly varying amplitudes. The pulses are generated by an erbium-doped figure-eight fiber laser, and present a wide (∼50 nm) optical spectrum, which represents a significant advantage to seed the generation of new frequencies. Another advantage of the pulses is their relatively large energy, as they are made up of a large number of ultrashort pulses. After amplification with an Erbium Doped Fiber Amplifier (EDFA), the pulses were injected in a 0.75 km length of SMF-28 fiber. We obtained experimentally at the end of the fiber an output signal spectrum extending from 1530 nm to at least 1750 nm (the upper limit of the spectrum analyzer) for pump pulses with an average power of 20.4 mW, corresponding to a few kilowatts peak power. The spectral broadening is due to Raman self-frequency shift (SFS). It is noteworthy that the spectrum of the newly created frequencies was extremely uniform over the range of measurement. Considering that the Raman shift is directly related to the pump pulse duration, spectral flatness is a direct consequence of the random distribution of amplitudes and durations of the pulses in the packet. Finally, the results show the capabilities of noise-like pulses from a fiber laser for applications in supercontinuum generation based on nonlinear phenomena such as Raman SFS.     

Grating-Outcoupled Radiation in Second-Order Fiber Bragg Gratings

Abstract

The experimental results of the radiation for second-order fiber Bragg gratings, which are made of a single-mode photosensitive fiber (PS-1500; Fiber-Core Corp.) and a single-mode fiber (SMF-28; Corning Inc.), by a phase mask writing fabrication technique are explored. For PS-1500 fiber Bragg gratings, the maximum radiation efficiency of ?23.5 dB at resonance λ = 1,539.34 nm with a very narrow bandwidth (about 0.02 nm) are measured from a 10-mm-diameter photo-detector, while for SMF-28 fiber Bragg gratings, the maximum radiation efficiency is ?34.6 dB (λ = 1,538.03 nm) with a bandwidth of 0.06 nm. The total efficiencies of the radiation are about ?16.8 dB for PS-1500 fiber Bragg gratings and ?28.1 dB for SMF-28 fiber Bragg gratings.     

Integrated thin film InGaAsP laser and 1 x 4 polymer multimode interference splitter on silicon

We report on a thin film InGaAsP laser integrated with a 1 x 4 polymer multimode interference (MMI) splitter on a silicon substrate for planar optical signal distribution. The thin film laser had a threshold current of 40 mA and was endfire coupled to the integrated passive polymer MMI splitter, and the optical signal from the laser was distributed to the four output waveguides of the MMI coupler. The measured loss of the MMI splitter was 0.79 dB. The normalized powers of the four MMI output ports in the integrated system were measured to be 0.823, 0.978, 0.852, and 1.     

Influence of injection patterns on chaos synchronization performance between a multimode laser diode and a single-mode laser

In this paper, based on a system composed of a multimode emitted laser diode and a single-mode received laser, chaos synchronization performance has been investigated numerically under different optical injection patterns. The results show that, for single mode injection (SMI) which means the received laser is injected by a selective longitudinal mode of the multimode emitted laser whose wavelength corresponds to that of the single-mode received laser, the system synchronization performance is better than that with multi mode injection (MMI); depending on the optical spectrum of the received laser, the physical mechanism of chaos synchronization deterioration for MMI is given. Additionally, after taking into account the parameter mismatches, the chaos synchronization performance of the system with different injection pattern have also been discussed. For either SMI or MMI, the synchronization performance with negative parameter mismatches is better than that with positive parameter mismatches.     

Fiber-optic sensor for liquid level measurement

A novel (to the best of our knowledge) liquid level sensor based on multimode interference (MMI) effects is proposed and demonstrated. By using a multimode fiber (MMF) without cladding, known as no-core fiber, liquids around the MMF modify the self-imaging properties of the MMI device and the liquid level can be detected. We show that the sensor exhibits a highly linear response with the sensing range and multiplexed operations easily controlled by just modifying the length of the no-core fiber. At the same time, we can measure the refractive index of the liquid based on the maximum peak wavelength shift. We can also use the sensor for continuous and discrete liquid level sensing applications, thus providing a liquid level sensor that is inexpensive with a very simple fabrication process.     

Cavity-enhanced spectroscopy in optical fibers

Cavity-enhanced methods have been extended to fiber optics by use of fiber Bragg gratings (FBGs) as reflectors. High-finesse fiber cavities were fabricated from FBGs made in both germanium/boron-co-doped photosensitive fiber and hydrogen-loaded Corning SMF-28 fiber. Optical losses in these cavities were determined from the measured Fabry-Perot transmission spectra and cavity ring-down spectroscopy. For a 10-m-long single-mode fiber cavity, ring-down times in excess of 2 ms were observed at 1563.6 nm, and individual laser pulses were resolved. An evanescent-wave access block was produced within a fiber cavity, and an enhanced sensitivity to optical loss was observed as the external medium's refractive index was altered.     

Fiber bragg gratings made with a phase mask and 800-nm femtosecond radiation

High-quality retroreflecting fiber Bragg gratings were written in standard Ge-doped telecom fiber (Corning SMF-28) after a few minutes exposure with pulsed 800-nm, 120-fs laser radiation by use of a deep-etch silica zero-order nulled phase mask optimized for 800 nm. Induced index modulations of 1.9 x 10(-3) were achieved with peak power intensities of 1.2 x 10(13) W/cm2 without any fiber sensitization. The fiber gratings are stable and did not erase after 2 weeks at 300 degrees C. The primary mechanism of induced index change results from a structural modification to the fiber core.     

Fiber-optic beam shaper based on multimode interference

A new method of fiber-optic based beam shaping is investigated both numerically and experimentally. A cylindrically symmetric method of lines (MoLs) is developed to simulate the device. The device is fabricated by fusion splicing a predetermined length of multimode fiber (MMF) to a single-mode fiber. The multimode interference (MMI) effects create ring-shaped field profiles at certain positions inside the MMF. The shaped beam can be used in medical applications requiring particular irradiation patterns.     

High-performance 90° hybrid based on a silicon-on-insulator multimode interference coupler

We propose a multimode interference coupler (MMI) design for high-index-contrast technologies based on a shallowly etched multimode region, which is, for the first time to our knowledge, directly coupled to deeply etched input and output waveguides. This reduces the phase errors associated with the high-index contrast, while still allowing for a very compact layout. Using this structure, we fabricate a 2 × 4 MMI operating as a 90° hybrid, with a footprint of only 0.65 mm × 0.53 mm, including all the structures necessary to couple light to a fiber array. We experimentally demonstrate a common mode rejection ratio better than -20 dBe and phase errors better than ±5° in a ~50 nm bandwidth.     

Multimode fiber laser beam cleanup based on stochastic parallel gradient descent algorithm

We present experimental research on multimode fiber laser beam cleanup based on a stochastic parallel gradient descent (SPGD) algorithm. The multimode laser is obtained by injecting a 1064 nm central wavelength single mode fiber laser into a multimode fiber and the system is setup by using phase only liquid crystal spatial light modulators (LC-SLM). The quality evaluation function is increased by a factor of 10.5 and 65% of the laser energy is encircled in the central lobe when the system evolves from open-loop into close-loop state. Experimental results indicate the feasibility of the multimode fiber laser beam cleanup by adaptive optics (AO).     

Nonunity permeability in metamaterial-based GaInAsP/InP multimode interferometers

We demonstrated an InP-based optical multimode interferometer (MMI) combined with metamaterials consisting of minute split-ring resonators (SRRs) arrayed on the MMI. The MMI could operate at an optical fiber communication wavelength of 1.5 μm. Magnetic resonance occurred between the SRR metamaterial and light at 1.5 μm, and the relative permeability of the metamaterial increased to 2.4 around this wavelength. This result shows that it is possible to use new materials with nonunity permeability to construct semiconductor-based photonic devices.     

Nineteen-port photonic lantern with multimode delivery fiber

We demonstrate efficient multimode (MM) to single-mode (SM) conversion in a 19-port photonic lantern with a 50 μm core MM delivery fiber. The photonic lantern can be used within the field of astrophotonics for coupling MM starlight to an ensemble of SM fibers in order to perform fiber-Bragg-grating-based spectral filtering. An MM delivery fiber spliced to the photonic lantern offers the advantage that the delivery fiber guides the light from the focal plane of the telescope to the splitter. Therefore, it is no longer necessary to have the splitter mounted directly in the focal plane of the telescope. The coupling loss from a 50 μm core MM fiber to an ensemble of 19 SM fibers and back to a 50 μm core MM fiber is below 1.1 dB.     

Hydrogen loading for fiber grating writing with a femtosecond laser and a phase mask

The threshold for the fabrication of fiber Bragg gratings with ultrafast 800-nm radiation and a phase mask was studied in SMF-28 and all-silica core fiber by use of 125-fs pulses. High-pressure molecular hydrogen loading (H2 loading) was observed to significantly lower the grating writing threshold in standard Ge-doped telecommunication fiber. No reduction was observed with all-silica core fiber. The index change appeared to be confined to the Ge-doped core region of the fiber. Gratings in H2-loaded SMF-28 had thermal annealing behavior similar to UV-induced gratings. Unlike UV-induced H2-loaded gratings, no absorption associated with Ge-OH defect formation was observed.     

Yb-laser based on the LMA active fiber and multimode Bragg grating

An ytterbium-fiber laser based on an active fiber with an increased core diameter and a multimode grating is created and studied. It is demonstrated that the effective reflection of the Bragg grating amounts to 96%. The laser line width is about 3 nm, which indicates the propagation of a superposition of modes in the multimode fiber. The repetitively pulsed regime of lasing, which can be related to the mode beating, is demonstrated     

一种多模干涉耦合器的性能模拟

为减小多模干涉（Multimode Interference ,MMI）耦合器件的尺寸,提出一种多模波导宽度为指数型变化的Taper结构.理论分析了多模波导长度与该Taper结构的参量之间的关系.与已被用于减小MMI器件尺寸的抛物线型Taper结构相比,该结构可进一步减小器件的尺寸.就几种波导结构参量下的MMI耦合器,利用宽角光束传播法进行了数值模拟.结果表明,指数型MMI耦合器的性能与抛物线型MMI耦合器的性能类似.指数型Taper结构可以用于MMI器件以减小该类器件的尺寸.     

掩埋式多模干涉型分束器的反射性能

通过束传播方法(BPM)模拟了SiO2基掩埋式波导结构多模干涉(MMI)型分束器的反射性能,模拟结果表明,MMI工作在分束模式时存在最优的多模干涉长度实现最大输出和最小反射,而在合束模式下实现最大输出时反射也达到最大,这是由自映象原理决定的。SiO2基掩埋式波导结构MMI分束器对反射具有良好的抑制作用,其最大反射功率为-60dB。分析表明,多模干涉区末端的界面反射率决定了器件的反射强弱,SiO2基掩埋式波导的界面反射率非常低,这是其低反射的原因。     

Enhancement of the wavelength selectivity of a volume hologram by use of multimode optical fiber referencing

Wavelength multiplexing of a volume hologram was combined with multimode fiber referencing. A photorefractive volume hologram was recorded and probed by reference light diffracted from a multimode optical fiber. A tunable laser diode was used as a light source that was launched into the multimode fiber. As the wavelength of the source laser shifted, the speckle patterns from the multimode fiber changed. The wavelength selectivity of the volume hologram was enhanced by the combined effect of wavelength change and speckle change.