Flexible all-optical wavelength conversions of 1.57-ps pulses exploiting cascaded sum- and difference frequency generation (cSFG/DFG) in a PPLN waveguide

Flexible all-optical wavelength conversions of ps-pulses based on cascaded sum- and difference frequency generation (cSFG/DFG) are proposed and experimentally demonstrated using a periodically poled lithium niobate (PPLN) waveguide. The pulsed signal, with a 40 GHz repetition rate and a 1.57 ps pulse width is adopted. Fixed-in variable-out (tunable), variable-in fixed-out and variable-in variable-out wavelength conversions are successfully realized with three proposed tuning schemes. Both wavelength down- and up-conversion are simultaneously observed. PACS 42.65.Ky; 42.65.Wi; 42.65.Re     

周期域反转铌酸锂可调谐波长转换器的皮秒脉冲实验

实验研究了周期域反转铌酸锂光波导级联和频与差频二阶非线性效应(cSFG/DFG)皮秒脉冲间的可调谐波长转换。信号光采用重复频率为40 GHz,脉宽为1.57 ps的脉冲信号。当输入信号光和第一个控制光波长分别为1554.4 nm和1532.5 nm时,通过调节第二个控制光波长由1550.5 nm到1541.0 nm,输出信号光波长可从1536.0 nm调谐至1545.2 nm。当输入信号光波长改变时,通过改变第一个控制光波长以满足和频过程的准相位匹配条件,同时调节第二个控制光波长可以实现输出信号光波长的可调谐。实验中利用两个窄带可调谐滤波器有效抑制了掺铒光纤放大器引入的放大自发辐射噪声,同时观察到了波长下转换和波长上转换。     

Proposal and simulation for all-optical format conversion between differential phase-shift keying signals based on cascaded second-order nonlinearities

We propose and simulate simple realizations of all-optical format conversion between differential phase-shift keying (DPSK) signals based on cascaded second-order nonlinearities in a periodically poled lithium niobate (PPLN) waveguide. Four kinds of 40 Gb/s all-optical format conversion from non-return-to-zero differential phase-shift keying (NRZ-DPSK) to return-to-zero differential phase-shift keying (RZ-DPSK) are investigated based on cascaded second-harmonic generation and difference-frequency generation (cSHG/DFG) or cascaded sum- and difference-frequency generation (cSFG/DFG). The optical spectra, temporal waveforms, eye diagrams, constellation diagrams, and time-related phase distribution are analyzed, which indicate successful implementation of NRZ-DPSK-to-RZ-DPSK format conversion. The obtained results also confirm the phase preservation characteristic of PPLN.     

基于光纤环形腔激光器的可调谐全光波长转换器的研究

在光纤环形腔激光器中引入周期极化反转铌酸锂(PPLN)光波导，用该激光器产生的连续光作为抽运光和控制光，使其与外加的信号光发生非线性效应实现可调谐波长转换.介绍了基于准相位匹配的PPLN光波导中的和频与差频级联型全光波长转换器的基本原理.对抽运光、信号光、控制光以及转换光的光功率随着PPLN光波导的变化进行了模拟.还对转换效率随着转换光波长的变化进行了数值计算.实验验证了该波长转换器的可调谐性. 关键词： 周期极化反转铌酸锂 和频与差频 可调谐全光波长转换 光纤环形腔激光器     

Phase-erased wavelength/format conversion and demodulation of 40 Gbit/s DPSK assisted by periodically poled lithium niobate

We report a novel phase-erased demodulation of differential phase-shift keying (DPSK) by exploiting cascaded second-harmonic generation and difference-frequency generation (cSHG/DFG) in a periodically poled lithium niobate (PPLN) waveguide. Analytical solutions are derived to clearly describe the operation principle. The binary optical phase information carried by the conventional DPSK demodulation outputs is removed thanks to the cSHG/DFG in a PPLN waveguide. PPLN-assisted phase-erased wavelength conversion and demodulation of 40 Gbit/s non-return-to-zero DPSK (NRZ-DPSK), return-to-zero DPSK (RZ-DPSK), and carrier-suppressed return-to-zero DPSK (CSRZ-DPSK) are demonstrated in the experiment. Moreover, the accompanying all-optical format conversions from optical duobinary (ODB) to NRZ and from ODB/alternate-mark inversion (AMI) to RZ are also substantiated in the experiment. In addition, the calculated theoretical results including optical spectra, temporal waveforms, and phase diagrams also confirm the successful implementation of PPLN-assisted 40 Gbit/s NRZ-DPSK/RZ-DPSK/CSRZ-DPSK phase-erased wavelength conversion, demodulation, and ODB-to-NRZ and ODB/AMI-to-RZ format conversions.     

Experimental observation of all-optical non-return-to-zero-to-return-to-zero format conversion based on cascaded second-order nonlinearity assisted by active mode-locking

We report the experimental demonstration of all-optical format conversion by exploiting the cascaded second-harmonic generation and difference-frequency generation (cSHG/DFG) in a periodically poled lithium niobate (PPLN) waveguide assisted by the reflective semiconductor optical amplifier (RSOA)-based active mode-locking. 10 and 20 Gbit/s format conversions from non-return-to-zero (NRZ) to return-to-zero (RZ) are successfully observed. Two schemes with either the NRZ signal or the pump optical clock set at the quasi-phase matching (QPM) wavelength are both verified in the experiment.     

单到单和单到双信道皮秒脉冲全光波长转换的实验研究

基于周期极化反转铌酸锂（PPLN）光波导级联倍频和差频（SHG+DFG）的二阶非线性效应,提出并实验研究了皮秒脉冲的可调谐波长转换以及单信道到双信道的波长转换.信号光采用重复频率为40 GHz,脉宽为1.57 ps的脉冲信号.连续抽运光由光纤环形腔激光器（FRL）提供.不同于传统的SHG+DFG型波长转换,信号光固定在PPLN光波导倍频过程的准相位匹配（QPM）波长处,通过调节抽运光的波长实现了转换空闲光的可调谐输出.当使用两个抽运光时实验观察到了单信道到双信道的波长转换.     

PPLN-based all-optical 40 Gbit/s ODB/AMI/FSK wavelength conversion and FSK logic NOT gate

We propose and demonstrate all-optical wavelength conversion for optical duobinary (ODB), alternate-mark inversion (AMI), and frequency-shift keying (FSK) signals and a logic NOT gate for a FSK signal based on cascaded second-harmonic generation and difference-frequency generation (cSHG/DFG) in a periodically poled lithium niobate (PPLN) waveguide. ODB/AMI/FSK are generated from the demodulation of differential phase-shift keying (DPSK) using one-bit-delay fiber delay interferometer (FDI). PPLN-based 40 Gbit/s ODB/AMI/FSK wavelength conversion and FSK logic NOT gate are simultaneously implemented in the experiment.     

在周期性极化铌酸锂波导中的波长转换与光谱分析

实验研究了在准相位匹配LiNbO₃波导中级联的倍频和差频波长转换,通过对转换频谱分析和波形对比分析,讨论了在脉冲泵浦情况下走离效应对光脉冲之间波长转换的影响：由于波导的色散性能,不同波长的光脉冲在波导中传播具有不同的群速度,处在0.8 μm光波段的倍频光脉冲比处在1.55 μm光波段的泵浦光脉冲的传播速度慢,导致了倍频光脉冲与泵浦光脉冲在传播的过程中发生走离;因此倍频脉冲在频域被压缩而在时域被展宽,并遗传给差频过程使得转换脉冲的谱宽变窄、脉宽增加、占空比变大,表明脉冲光泵浦波长转换对信号频谱及波形不是严格透明的转换。实验同时实现了一对多通道的波长转换,表明连续控制光的线宽对转换信号的信噪比有较大的影响。     

Difference-frequency generation by mixing dual-wavelength pulses emitting from an electronically tuned Ti:sapphire laser

Broadly tunable difference-frequency generation (DFG) in AgGaS₂ was achieved by mixing dual-wavelength oscillating pulses from an electronically tuned Ti:sapphire laser with a two-frequency-driven acousto-optic device. Continuous tuning from 6.5 to 8.5 μm was achieved by simultaneous dual-wavelength-tuned DFG without crystal rotation. In the dual-pulse oscillation, the shorter and longer wavelength pulses were tuned from 700 to 775 nm and from 763 to 880 nm, respectively, while keeping the phase-matching relationship for DFG. When crystal rotation was adopted, however, the tunable output range was extended from 5.3 to 12 μm by tuning the longer wavelength pump pulse, while the shorter wavelength pulse was fixed. Received: 18 November 1998 / Revised version: 5 February 1999 / Published online: 26 May 1999     

新型双环腔结构可调谐全光波长转换器的实验研究

利用周期性畴反转铌酸锂光波导级联和频与差频的二阶非线性效应，提出并实验验证了一种新颖的基于无源光波导双环腔结构的可调谐全光波长转换方案，实现了皮秒脉冲从信号光波长到空闲光波长的转换.采取的脉冲信号光脉宽为1.57ps，重复频率为40GHz，抽运光和控制光由双环腔激光器提供，无需任何外界注入连续光. 关键词： 全光波长转换器 双环腔 周期性畴反转铌酸锂 级联和频与差频二阶非线性效应     

Spectroscopic diagnostics of chemical processes: applications of tunable optical parametric oscillators

Optical parametric oscillator (OPO) and amplifier (OPA) devices are useful for spectroscopic sensing of chemical processes in laboratory, industrial, and environmental settings. This is particularly true of nanosecond-pulsed, continuously tunable OPO/OPA systems, for which we survey a variety of instrumental strategies, together with actual spectroscopic measurements. The relative merits of OPO wavelength control by intracavity gratings and by injection seeding are considered. A major innovation comprises an OPO with a ring cavity based on periodically poled lithium niobate (PPLN) and injection-seeded by a single-mode tunable diode laser (TDL). Active cavity control by an ‘intensity dip’ method yields an optical bandwidth ≤0.005 cm^-1 (150 MHz), which compares favourably with the performance of advanced grating-tuned OPO/OPA systems. A novel adaptation of this TDL-seeded PPLN OPO employs a compact, inexpensive multimode pump laser, with which it is still possible to obtain continuously tunable single-mode signal output. Cavity ringdown (CRD) spectroscopy also figures prominently, with infrared (IR) CRD spectra from both grating-scanned and TDL-seeded OPOs reported. Finally, a tunable ultraviolet (UV) source, combining a TDL-seeded passive-cavity OPO and a sum-frequency generation stage, is developed for measurements of time-resolved IR-UV double resonance spectra of acetylene and UV laser-induced fluorescence spectra of nitric oxide. Received: 28 March 2000 / Published online: 13 September 2000     

All-optical wavelength tuning in Ti:PPLN Šolc filter via the photorefractive effect

We demonstrate fine-wavelength tuning of a periodically poled Ti:LiNbO₃ (Ti:PPLN) Šolc filter by use of the photorefractive (PR) effect. The center wavelength of a Ti:PPLN Šolc filter is controlled by the PR effect, which is induced by second-harmonic generation (SHG). The refractive index change caused by the PR effect is calculated from the measured shift in center wavelength from the Ti:PPLN Šolc filter. The experimental results show that all-optical fine-wavelength tuning in a Ti:PPLN Šolc filter is possible by the use of a second-order nonlinear effect and that a Ti:PPLN waveguide has much higher resistance to PR damage than a Ti:LiNbO₃ waveguide. The measured wavelength tuning rate as a function of the pump beam power is about − 0.033 nm/mW.     

基于中红外DFG光源的甲烷气体光谱检测方法研究

基于中红外光源的气体光谱检测是新的痕量气体监测与分析方法,在大气监测领域具有重要的应用。构建了一套基于中红外DFG光源的甲烷气体光谱检测系统。该系统以1 550 nm和1 060 nm波段可调谐半导体激光器作为基频光源,采用PPLN晶体作为差频非线性变频器件,实现了3.3 μm处的窄线宽可调谐中红外光源输出。实验结果表明,当PPLN晶体工作温度为99.5℃时,闲频光的输出功率为112 μW,差频转换效率达到1.246 mW/W2。晶体的温度接受带宽为4.3℃,泵浦光波长接受带宽为5.3 nm。在此基础上,分别利用直接吸收法和谐波检测法获得了3 028.751 cm-1处的甲烷气体吸收光谱和二次谐波检测信号。     

Optical parametric oscillation in periodically poled lithium niobate driven by a diode-pumped Q-switched erbium fiber laser

We describe what is to our knowledge the first nanosecond periodically poled lithium niobate (PPLN) optical parametric oscillator (OPO) driven by a fiber laser. The source was frequency doubled by a PPLN sample before pumping a second, 20-mm-long, PPLN crystal. The OPO threshold was <10muJ, with pump depletions of as much as 45% and a tunable signal range of 945-1450 nm (1690-4450-nm idler range). We demonstrated 130-nm signal tuning by varying the pump wavelength and doubling crystal's temperature. Also, we achieved 15-nm tuning with all crystals at a constant temperature. The results demonstrate the potential of the fiber laser:PPLN combination for practical, versatile, and tunable sources.     

Development of a tunable mid-IR difference frequency laser source for highly sensitive airborne trace gas detection

The development of a compact tunable mid-IR laser system at 3.5 μm for quantitative airborne spectroscopic trace gas absorption measurements is reported. The mid-IR laser system is based on difference frequency generation (DFG) in periodically poled LiNbO₃ and utilizes optical fiber amplified near-IR diode and fiber lasers as pump sources operating at 1083 nm and 1562 nm, respectively. This paper describes the optical sensor architecture, performance characteristics of individual pump lasers and DFG, as well as its application to wavelength modulation spectroscopy employing an astigmatic Herriott multi-pass gas absorption cell. This compact system permits detection of formaldehyde with a minimal detectable concentration (1σ replicate precision) of 74 parts-per-trillion by volume (pptv) for 1 min of averaging time and was achieved using calibrated gas standards, zero air background and rapid dual-beam subtraction. This corresponds to a pathlength-normalized replicate fractional absorption sensitivity of 2.5×10^-10 cm^-1. Received: 29 April 2002 / Published online: 21 August 2002 RID="*" ID="*"Corresponding author. Fax: +1-303/497-1492, E-mail: dr@ucar.edu     

Optimization of the idler wavelength tunable cascaded optical parametric oscillator based on chirp-assisted aperiodically poled lithium niobate crystal

We present the numerical results for the optimization of the pump-to-idler conversion efficiencies of nanosecond idler wavelength tunable cascaded optical parametric oscillators(OPO) in different wavelength tuning ranges, where the primary signals from the OPO process are recycled to enhance the pump-to-idler conversion efficiencies via the simultaneous difference frequency generation(DFG) process by monolithic aperiodically poled, magnesium oxide doped lithium niobate(APMg LN) crystals. The APMg LN crystals are designed with different chirp parameters for the DFG process to broaden their thermal acceptance bandwidths to different extents. The idler wavelength tuning of the cascaded OPO is realized by changing the temperature of the designed APMg LN crystal and the cascaded oscillation is achieved in a single pump pass singly resonant linear cavity. The pump-to-idler conversion efficiencies with respect to the pump pulse duration and ratio of OPO coefficient to DFG coefficient are calculated by numerically solving the coupled wave equations. The optimal working conditions of the tunable cascaded OPOs pumped by pulses with energies of 350 μJ and 700 μJ are compared to obtain the general rules of optimization. It is concluded that the optimization becomes the interplay between the ratio of OPO coefficient to DFG coefficient and the pump pulse duration when the idler wavelength tuning range and the pump pulse energy are fixed. Besides, higher pump pulse energy is beneficial for reaching higher optimal pump-to-idler conversion efficiency as long as the APMg LN crystal is optimized according to this pump condition. To the best of our knowledge,this is the first numerical analysis of idler wavelength tunable cascaded OPOs based on chirp-assisted APMg LN crystals.     

Bandwidth enhancement and response flattening of cascaded sum- and difference-frequency generation-based wavelength conversion

We investigate bandwidth enhancement and response flattening of wavelength conversion based on cascaded sum-frequency generation and difference-frequency generation (SFG/DFG) in quasi-phase-matched periodically poled lithium niobate waveguides by use of two pump lights. Analysis shows that the conversion properties deeply depend on the pump settings. The bandwidth is efficiently enhanced by augmenting the pump wavelength difference. The critical bandwidth corresponding to the response fluctuation of 1 dB in a 3-cm-long waveguide reaches 80-90 nm, which is enough to cover the entire conventional-band and long-wavelength-band. The cascaded SFG/DFG bandwidth is about 24% broader than that of the cascaded second-harmonic generation and difference-frequency generation-based configuration with the same waveguide length. However, the response fluctuation is also enhanced together with the bandwidth enhancement. The method of pump detuning is presented to flatten the response fluctuation. The fluctuation is reduced by more than 1 dB and it can be further reduced by increasing the pump detuning value with a little efficiency penalty.     

Widely tunable difference frequency generation around 3.4 μm using index dispersion property of PPLN

In this paper, the wide difference frequency generation (DFG) tuning characteristics around 3.4 μm are investigated by using the index dispersion property of PPLN. With a ytterbium doped fiber laser (YDFL) and an erbium doped fiber laser (EDFL) as the fundamental light sources, our simulation results show that the quasi-phase matching (QPM) wavelength acceptance bandwidth (BW) for the pump is much larger than that for the signal. Although the positions of the broadened QPM pump bands vary with the poling period and the signal wavelength, the corresponding idler tuning ranges center around 3.4 μm. With a signal wavelength of 1.57 μm, an idler tuning range of greater than 170 nm is experimentally obtained in the 30 uniform grating PPLN. When the signal wavelength and the poling period are respectively changed to 1.55 and 29.50 μm, wide DFG tuning operations around 3.4 μm are also achieved with the crystal temperature adjusted to adapt the change.     

Widely tunable, high-repetition-rate, dual signal-wave optical parametric oscillator by using two periodically poled crystals

This paper reports on a high-repetition-rate dual signal-wave (DSW) optical parametric oscillator (OPO) operating at the 1.5 μm band with tunable wavelength intervals from 2.5 nm to 69.1 nm. Two periodically poled crystals, a periodically poled lithium niobate (PPLN) with multiple gratings and a single grating MgO-doped PPLN (PPMgOLN), are cascaded in the same OPO cavity to generate dual signal-waves by using quasi-phase-matched (QPM) technique. The pump source was a Q-switched diode-pumped Nd:YVO₄ laser operating at 50 kHz. At an incident pump power of 3 W, an average output power of 169.6 mW at 1489.2 nm and 1558.3 nm has been achieved.