Generation of a 160-GHz transform-limited pedestal-free pulse train through multiwave mixing compression of a dual-frequency beat signal

We report the experimental generation of a 160-GHz picosecond pulse train at 1550 nm, using multiple four-wave mixing temporal compression of an initial dual-frequency beat signal in the anomalous-dispersion regime of a nonzero dispersion-shifted fiber. Complete intensity and phase characterizations of the pulse train were carried out by means of a frequency-resolved optical gating technique, showing that 1.27-ps transform-limited pedestal-free Gaussian pulses were generated.     

Generation and propagation of subpicosecond pulse train

Higher-order nonlinear Schr\"{o}dinger equation with the Hirota constraint conditions is considered, and an analytic solution, which can describe the modulational instability process, is presented. Based on the solution, a new pulse train without continuous wave (CW) background is generated in quadratures and the propagation of the pulse train is discussed in detail by simulating numerically. The results show that, unlike the propagation of the picosecond pulse train, under the effects of the higher-order terms, the pulse train cannot propagate along the fibre when the energy is very high; however, for some medium energy the pulse train can stably propagate. We also investigate the stability of the pulse train against violation of the Hirota conditions, and the results show that the pulse train can still propagate stably when the Hirota conditions are broken.     

Generation of a single-cycle optical pulse

We make use of coherent control of four-wave mixing to the ultraviolet as a diagnostic and describe the generation of a periodic optical waveform where the spectrum is sufficiently broad that the envelope is approximately a single-cycle in length, and where the temporal shape of this envelope may be synthesized by varying the coefficients of a Fourier series. Specifically, using seven sidebands, we report the generation of a train of single-cycle optical pulses with a pulse width of 1.6 fs, a pulse separation of 11 fs, and a peak power of 1 MW.     

Sub-single-cycle optical pulse train with constant carrier envelope phase

We describe the synthesis of periodic waveforms consisting of a train of pulses that are 0.83 cycles long and have an electric field pulse width of 0.44 fs using 7 Raman sidebands generated by molecular modulation in H2. We verify by optical correlation that the carrier-envelope phase is constant in these waveforms when they are synthesized from commensurate sidebands. The estimated overall shift of the carrier-envelope phase is less than 0.18 cycles from the first to the last pulse of nearly 10(6) pulses in the pulse train.     

Photonic vector signal generation employing a novel optical direct-detection in-phase/quadrature-phase upconversion

This work demonstrates the feasibility of the generation of an RF direct-detection vector signal using optical in-phase/quadrature-phase (I/Q) upconversion. The advantage of the proposed transmitter is that no electrical mixer is needed to generate the RF signal. Therefore, I/Q data of RF signals are processed at baseband at the transmitter, which is independent of the carrier frequency of the generated RF signal. A 10 Gb/s 16 quadrature amplitude modulation signal is experimentally demonstrated. Following transmission over a 50 km single-mode fiber, the power penalty is negligible. Moreover, I/Q imbalance of the proposed transmitter is studied and compensated by digital signal processing, which is both numerically and experimentally verified.     

An all frequency model of optical pulse train noise spectra

Optical and Quantum Electronics -     

Magnetization of optically polarized gas atoms by an optical pulse train

The properties of the density matrix and the multipole moments arising in oriented and aligned atoms with zero nuclear spin through the interaction with strong resonant ultrashort pulses with wave vector k ₀ and circular or linear polarization have been found. Calculations have been made for the time-dependent light-induced magnetization μ(t′) of a gas of pre-oriented and prealigned atoms following the passage of a weak resonant elliptically polarized pulse with frequency ω and wave vector k collinear with k ₀. It is shown that for oriented atoms, μ(t′) is an even function of the detuning from resonance, ω-ω _ba, and can be split into two terms whose directions are a consequence of symmetry and are determined by the vectors k ₀ and k as well as by the direction of rotation of the electric fields corresponding to the pulses. For aligned atoms the vector μ(t′) is collinear with k, and the first term is an even function of ω-ω _ba. However, the second term is an odd function of ω-ω _ba and reverses direction when the sign of ω-ω _ba changes, as well as when the orientation of the axes of the polarization ellipse is changed. It is shown that if a series of weak linearly polarized pulses pass through the gas, the light-induced magnetization of the oriented and aligned gas atoms can be decomposed into three factors: the first determines the direction and is a consequence of the symmetry; the second (with the dimensions of magnetic moment) depends on the characteristics of the resonant transitions; and the third is a universal function of t′ and ω-ω _ba that does not depend on the underlying characteristics of the resonant transition. These vector factors and the universal functions are in principle different for oriented and aligned atoms. Zh. éksp. Teor. Fiz. 111, 63–92 (January 1997)     

Simultaneous generation and wavelength conversion of a pulse train from multi-wave mixing in an optical fibre

The insertion of three continuous-wave optical frequencies in a low-dispersion optical fibre resulted in the generation of a high-repetition-rate train of ultra-short pulses and its simultaneous wavelength conversion. Two of the frequencies were spaced by ∼0.17 THz and multi-wave mixing generated a frequency comb to which is associated a train of 1.6 ps pulses. Wave-mixing between the generated comb and the third input optical frequency then converts the pulse train into different wavelengths. The Split-Step Fourier method was applied to numerically simulate the generation/wavelength conversion and results are in good agreement with experiments.     

Single pulse extraction from a mode-locked pulse train using a dye-laser amplifier

A new method to generate high power, short light pulses with a moderate iteration frequency is described. The pulse train of the actively mode-locked Kr laser was sent into a dye-laser amplifier pumped by a N₂ laser. The trigger of the N₂ laser was generated by dividing the modulation frequency of the mode-locking into moderately low frequency (≈ 50 Hz). Only one pulse in the input train was largely amplified by one N₂ laser pulse and the intense short pulses were generated with ≈ 50 Hz iteration.     

模块化多路同步快脉冲触发源设计

基于超快速高压大功率半导体开关、脉冲形成电路以及同心等间距传输的关键技术,提出一种模块化多路同步快脉冲触发源技术方案。设计出在负载阻抗为50Ω时,可同步输出两种快脉冲触发信号:一种幅度大于20V(4路)、脉冲前沿小于820ps、脉冲宽度大于100ns;另一种则是幅度大于100V(4路)、前沿小于1.4ns、脉宽大于100ns;在外触发作用下,触发源系统抖动和脉冲输出同步分散性分别达到2ns和36.6ps。电路结构上充分利用等间距电信号传输的原理,实现了快脉冲触发源模块化的设计。通过实验结果验证了所采用的设计原理及方法的可行性,给出了在外触发脉冲单次和重频(5kHz)作用下该同步快脉冲触发源输出的实验结果。     

模块化多路同步快脉冲触发源设计

基于超快速高压大功率半导体开关、脉冲形成电路以及同心等间距传输的关键技术,提出一种模块化多路同步快脉冲触发源技术方案。设计出在负载阻抗为50 时,可同步输出两种快脉冲触发信号：一种幅度大于20 V（4路）、脉冲前沿小于820 ps、脉冲宽度大于100 ns;另一种则是幅度大于100 V（4路）、前沿小于1.4 ns、脉宽大于100 ns;在外触发作用下,触发源系统抖动和脉冲输出同步分散性分别达到2 ns 和36.6 ps。电路结构上充分利用等间距电信号传输的原理,实现了快脉冲触发源模块化的设计。通过实验结果验证了所采用的设计原理及方法的可行性,给出了在外触发脉冲单次和重频（5 kHz）作用下该同步快脉冲触发源输出的实验结果。     

Generation of millimeter-wave sub-carrier optical pulse by using a Fabry-Perot interferometer

A novel scheme is proposed to transform a Gaussian optical pulse to a millimeter-wave (mm-wave) frequency modulation pulse by using a Fabry-Perot interferometer (FPI) for radio-over-fiber (ROF) system.It is shown that modulation frequency of mm-wave is determined by the optical path of the Fabry-Perot (F-P) cavity, and amplitude decay time and energy transfer efficiency are related to the reflectivity of the F-P cavity mirror. The effect of pulse train extension on inter-symbol interference is also discussed.     

Generation of millimeter-wave sub-carrier optical pulse by using cascaded all-pass cavities

A novel scheme is proposed to transform an ultra-short optical pulse to a millimeter-wave frequencymodulated pulse by using the cascaded all-pass cavities （APCs）. The envelope waveform of the generated pulse train is calculated, showing effective improvement by APC cascading. The extinction ratio is analyzed with different input pulses, different cavity reflectivities, and different cascading numbers. It is shown that the cascading does not introduce much effect on the extinction ratio. Two designs by using Gires-Tournois cavity and waveguide ring resonators are proposed to realize the cascaded APC.     

Generation of a self-chirped few-cycle optical pulse in a FEL oscillator

We study the generation of a self-chirped optical pulse in a free-electron laser (FEL) oscillator. In a high-gain FEL oscillator, the frequency chirp is induced in the slippage region as a result of superradiant FEL resonance, and this time-frequency correlation evolves continuously into a few-cycle regime, if the optical cavity length is perfectly synchronized to the electron bunch interval. Numerical simulations based on the slowly evolving wave approximation and experimental results are presented.     

Generating a high-extinction-ratio pulse from a phase-modulated optical signal with a dispersion-imbalanced nonlinear loop mirror

We demonstrate a method for generating ultrashort pulses from a phase-modulated optical signal by using a dispersion-imbalanced nonlinear loop mirror instead of the traditional linear dispersion medium. The extinction ratio of the pulses is greatly improved at the same time. By controlling the bandwidth of the phase-modulated signal and the dispersion map of the dispersion-imbalanced nonlinear loop mirror, we can control the pulse width from several picoseconds to hundreds of femtoseconds.     

Generation of synchronized signal and pump pulses for an optical parametric chirped pulse amplification based multi-terawatt Nd:glass laser system

Synchronized signal (650 ps) and pump (1.3 ns) pulses were generated using 4-pass geometry in a grating pair based pulse stretcher unit. The pump pulse has been further amplified in a high gain regenerative amplifier. This amplified pulse was used as the pump in an optical parametric chirped pulse amplification based Nd:glass laser system. As the chirped signal pulse and the pump pulse originated from the same oscillator, the time jitter between the pump pulse and the signal pulse can be <50 ps.     

Time- and wavelength-interleaved optical pulse train generation based on dispersion spreading and sectional compression

A method to generate time- and wavelength-interleaved optical pulse trains based on dispersion spreading and sectional compression is proposed and demonstrated. A 4×2 GHz time- and wavelength-interleaved pulse train is generated from an input 2 GHz mode-locked pulse train. The advantages of the proposed scheme are its simplicity and robustness, since no microwave component or multiwavelength laser source is required. In addition, we demonstrate supercontinuum generation of an ultraflat 18 nm bandwidth spectrum with less than 0.5 dB fluctuation over the 3.2 nm central bandwidth.     

Generation of a 64-GHz, 3.3-ps transform-limited pulse train from a fiber laser employing higher-order frequency-modulated mode locking

We demonstrate the generation of optical pulses at a repetition rate of 64 GHz directly from a frequency-modulated (FM) mode-locked fiber laser. This is achieved by phase modulation at 16 GHz and by initiating of higher-order FM mode locking by use of an intracavity Fabry-Perot filter with a free spectral range of 64 GHz. This process yielded transform-limited pulses with a width of 3.3 ps. We investigated the operating characteristics of the laser and compared them with the characteristics that were predicted theoretically.     

Bright and dark 40 GHz parabolic pulse generation using a picosecond optical pulse train and an arrayed waveguide grating

We demonstrate parabolic optical pulse generation by manipulating the intensity and phase of individual longitudinal modes of a 40 GHz picosecond optical pulse train in the spectral domain. Bright and dark parabolic pulses were generated from a 40 GHz mode-locked fiber laser using a 64-channel arrayed waveguide grating pulse shaper. The obtained parabolic pulse, which can easily generate a linear chirping, is useful for a number of applications to optical signal processing applications, including pulse compression and time-domain optical Fourier transformation.     

On the output characteristics of a semiconductor optical amplifier driven by an ultrafast optical time division multiplexing pulse train

A comprehensive theoretical analysis of a semiconductor optical amplifier (SOA) that is subject to an ultrafast optical time division multiplexing pulse stream is presented with the help of a simple but efficient model developed for this purpose. The model combines the necessary set of mathematical equations with the appropriate simplifying assumptions to describe in the time domain gain saturation and recovery for the case of multiple incoming pulses. In this manner, analytical expressions can be obtained for the power and chirp profile of the amplified pulses, essentially extending the work that has been performed for a single pulse only. This allows to identify the critical operational parameters and to investigate and evaluate their effect on these two output characteristics. The derived simulation curves are thoroughly studied to specify the limitations imposed on the SOA small signal gain and carrier lifetime as well as on the full-width at half-maximum (FWHM) and energy of the input pulses and, based on a series of logical arguments, to extract useful rules concerning their selection so as to achieve improved performance with respect to the practical applications of all-optical switching and pulse compression. The obtained results indicate that due to the continuous insertion of pulses, the requirements for the SOA small signal gain and the input pulse energy are stringent than those for the case of isolated pulse amplification. The combination of these two parameters determines also the regime in which the amplifier must be biased to operate in order to ensure distortionless pulse amplification and enhanced chirp for efficient pulse compression and it has been found that low saturation is necessary for the former case whilst heavy saturation for the latter. The scopes of the corresponding requirements for the carrier lifetime and the FWHM are also tight but to a less extent and can be simply satisfied with the available photonics technology. These results are in good agreement with the available experimental data essentially proving the validity and robustness of the model. The model can be thus applied to predict the behavior of more complex all-optical circuits of enhanced functionality in which the SOA is the basic functional device.