All-fiber passive mode-locked laser to generate ps pulses based in a symmetrical NOLM

We experimentally investigate an all-fiber passively mode-locked laser generating ps pulses. The experimental setup is a figure eight fiber laser configuration, including a power-symmetric Nonlinear Optical Loop Mirror (NOLM) with highly twisted low-birefringence fiber in the loop. NOLM switching is achieved by polarization asymmetry between the counter-propagating beams in the loop. We used a Quarter-Wave Retarder in the loop to break the polarization symmetry. Using a polarizer beam-splitter cube as the NOLM output we got the best quality output pulses from the laser. At this output, we are monitoring the output pulse polarization component which is parallel to the input NOLM component. We achieved stable generation of ～25 ps pulses at the repetition frequency of 0.78 MHz with milliwatts average output power. The mode-locked laser ran in stable operation for hours.     

Easily tuneable nonlinear optical loop mirror including low-birefringence,highly twisted fibre with invariant output polarisation

We investigate theoretically the operation of a versatile nonlinear optical loop mirror (NOLM) structure to be used in optical communication systems. The proposed device is a fibre Sagnac interferometer that includes a low-birefringence, highly twisted fibre and a quarter-wave plate retarder in the loop. We study, both analytically and numerically, the evolution of the intensity-dependent NOLM transmission for both output polarisation components, using different models for the NOLM. From this analysis, we propose an easy way to adjust the position of the NOLM maximum transmission, simply by tuning the angle of the retarder. This procedure is particularly useful for amplitude regularisation of an optical signal. We also demonstrate that, if a tuneable optical attenuator is inserted in the loop, the positions of both maximum and minimum transmission can be tuned separately, using a perfectly reproducible procedure. It is therefore possible to optimise the NOLM transmission for both pedestal and amplitude fluctuations removal in an optical pulse train. For a circular input polarisation, this procedure ensures the highest possible contrast between minimum and maximum transmission, and an output polarisation state that is linear and independent of the input power. Finally, we demonstrate that the transmission characteristic of this NOLM is robust to environmentally induced changes in the fibre birefringence. Thanks to its versatility, robustness and polarisation invariance, this device is thought to be of primary interest for applications such as passive mode locking, pulse compression and pedestal suppression, amplitude regularisation in harmonically mode-locked, rational-harmonically mode-locked or subharmonic synchronous mode-locked lasers, as well as damping of relaxation oscillations.     

Experimental investigation of self-starting operation in a F8L based on a symmetrical NOLM

We experimentally analyze the self-starting operation of a figure-eight mode-locked fiber laser. The design is based on a power-balanced nonlinear optical loop mirror (NOLM) with highly twisted low-birefringence fiber and a quarter-wave (QW) retarder in the loop. The NOLM operates by nonlinear polarization rotation. Self-starting mode-locking requires a careful adjustment of the NOLM low-power transmission, which is easily realized with our setup by adjusting the angle of the QW retarder. The laser is capable of generating ∼20 ps pulses at the fundamental repetition frequency of 0.78 MHz.     

Experimental investigation of a passively mode-locked fiber laser based on a symmetrical NOLM with a highly twisted low-birefringence fiber

We experimentally investigate the passive mode-locking operation of a figure eight-fiber laser based on a symmetrical nonlinear optical loop mirror (NOLM) with a highly twisted low-birefringence fiber in the loop. NOLM switching is achieved by the polarization asymmetry between the counterpropagating beams in the loop. The most efficient switching is obtained when we have linear polarization for one of the beams and the circular polarization for the other. We used a quarter-wave retarder (QWR) in the NOLM loop to break the polarization symmetry. Through the QWR position, it is possible to adjust the transmission behavior from a maximum to a minimum at a low input power. With our configuration, it is possible to get self-starting mode-locking operation at a specific position of the QWR. This QWR position corresponds to a value close to the minimal transmission. The pulse repetition frequency was 0.8 MHz. The mode-locked laser ran in a stable operation for hours. We achieved a stable generation of picosecond pulses with milliwatts of an average output power.     

Optical pulse shaping at moderate power using a twisted-fibre NOLM with single output polarisation selection

We demonstrate theoretically and experimentally that efficient signal shaping operation can be obtained at moderate power by using the transmission characteristic of a power-symmetric nonlinear optical loop mirror (NOLM) including highly twisted fibre and operating through nonlinear polarisation rotation, when the circular polarisation state orthogonal to the input polarisation is selected at the NOLM output. By adjusting the angle of the quarter-wave retarder inserted in the loop, the phase bias of the transfer characteristic can be adjusted precisely to enable proper signal shaping for moderate values of input power, remaining well below switching power. The tolerance of the procedure to deviations of the input polarisation from the ideal circular case is investigated numerically. We demonstrate experimentally the capabilities of this setup for both power equalisation and extinction ratio enhancement. Finally, we show that this setup is also useful to shape ultrashort optical pulses from the relaxation oscillations of a DFB semiconductor laser. In comparison with other NOLM-based techniques, the proposed approach allows to reduce by a factor of 8-10 the peak power required for pulse shaping, for the same fibre length and Kerr coefficient.     

Optimum splitting ratio for amplifier noise reduction by an asymmetric nonlinear optical loop mirror

We theoretically and experimentally analyze the influence of the splitting ratio and the input power on the noise reduction capability of an asymmetric nonlinear optical loop mirror (NOLM) for different input noise levels. An easy method to calculate the optimum parameters for noise reduction is also presented. The best noise reduction is found at NOLM input powers at which the nonlinear transfer function has a slope close to zero. Additionally, the splitting ratio of the NOLM has to be adapted to its input noise level to suppress amplitude fluctuations effectively. Since the noise reduction by the NOLM is due to the Kerr nonlinearity, which has a timescale below a few femtoseconds, the noise reduction is applicable to short pulses in the picosecond and femtosecond range. This makes the NOLM applicable as an optical regenerator in an optical data transmission system at high bit rates, such as 160 GBit/s.     

Optical pulse compression and amplitude noise reduction using a non-linear optical loop mirror including a distributed Gires-Tournois etalon

We propose and analyse numerically a novel dispersion-imbalanced non-linear optical loop mirror (NOLM) scheme allowing simultaneous compression and amplitude noise reduction of chirped ultrashort-pulsed signals. An all-fibre distributed Gires-Tournois etalon (DGTE) made of two uniform fibre Bragg gratings is inserted asymmetrically in the loop, and is used both to dispersion imbalance the NOLM and to compress the pulses. The results show that the output pulses are accompanied by side lobes, which originate from the no-uniformity of the DGTE dispersion spectrum. We analyse the formation of these side lobes and show that, in the case of highly chirped input pulses, side lobes are strongly reduced by the NOLM architecture. In this case, the device operates well even when the signal optical spectrum extends over an entire free spectral range of the DGTE. We believe that this work will be useful for the design of all-optical regeneration schemes for highly chirped data streams in optical transmission systems.     

Theoretical analysis of feedback high birefringence fiber loop mirror for application in single-frequency fiber lasers

A feedback high birefringence fiber loop mirror with a piece of erbium-doped fiber and a polarization controller is newly proposed. When the erbium-doped fiber is properly pumped to offset the loss of the feedback ring in the loop mirror, narrowband transmission peaks with large effective free spectral range can be achieved by the intrinsic vernier effect between orthogonally polarized lights respectively traveling along the two primary axes of the high birefringence fiber. In addition, the side transmission suppression ratio can reach about 6 dB. These special properties are independent of the polarization state of the input signal, which makes it feasible for the proposed feedback high birefringence fiber loop mirror to be employed as a narrowband filter in single-frequency fiber lasers.     

Polarization-insensitive nonlinear optical loop mirror demultiplexer with twisted fiber

We experimentally demonstrate reduction of the polarization sensitivity of a nonlinear optical loop mirror (NOLM) from 5 to 0.5 dB by use of 550 m of twisted dispersion-shifted fiber with a twist rate of 8 turns/m (24 turns/beat length). The twisting of the fiber induces circular birefringence and equates the parallel-and the orthogonal-polarization nonlinear phase-shift terms. Experimental results show that the polarization sensitivity monotonically decreases from 5 dB for nontwisted fiber to 0.5 dB for fiber that is twisted at a rate of 8 turns/m, and the twist rate should be more than 4 turns/m (>10 turns/beat length) for emulation of circularly polarized fiber. The minimum polarization sensitivity occurs when the control-pulse polarization is aligned with one of the eigenmodes of the twisted fiber. With the fiber twisted at a rate of 8 turns/m in the NOLM, the nonlinear transmission is 23% at a switching energy of 4 pJ/pulse. Simulations confirm the observed behavior and show that the remaining polarization sensitivity results from energy transfer between orthogonal modes of the signal pulse.     

基于非线性光纤环镜的40Gb/s可重构光逻辑门

提出了一种新型的基于非线性光纤环镜(NOLM)的可重构全光逻辑门实现方案。传统的基于NOLM的全光逻辑利用自相位调制效应或交叉相位调制效应,透射传输函数重构的自由度低,可实现的逻辑门种类较少。该方案在传统的结构基础上,分析了NOLM中探测光的偏振态的演化,以及输入光偏振态和环内偏振控制器对NOLM的传输特性的影响。理论分析和数值仿真结果表明在考虑NOLM中的非线性偏振旋转效应的情况下,可以更加自由地构建不同透射传输函数,从而利用单一NOLM结构,仅通过调节偏振控制器,即能够可重构地实现绝大部分基础组合逻辑。实验中,完成了两路40Gb/s的数据信号之间的"非"、"与"、"或"、"或非"、"同或"、"异或"等各种基础组合逻辑,验证了方案的可行性。     

Large amplitude noise reduction in ultrashort pulse trains using a power-symmetric nonlinear optical loop mirror

We analyse numerically the capabilities of a power-symmetric nonlinear optical loop mirror (NOLM) in the ultrashort pulse regime for high-quality amplitude regeneration of an optical signal. The device, which operates through nonlinear polarisation rotation, includes twisted, anomalous-dispersion fibre and a quarter-wave retarder. For particular adjustments of the retarder orientation, and a circularly polarised input beam, the output energy characteristic flattens near the switching energy, a property that can be used to eliminate large amplitude fluctuations in an optical signal. The group velocity mismatch between polarisation components introduced by twist is mitigated by the interplay between anomalous dispersion and the nonlinear Kerr effect, although strong twist should be avoided as it still introduces substantial pulse distortion. Contrary to other designs, where a plateau characteristic requires a large power imbalance between the counter-propagating beams, both pulses in the present scheme can be simultaneously close to fundamental solitons, which allows a substantial widening of the plateau for particular pulse parameters. Good quality, nearly transform-limited pulses are obtained in this case at the NOLM output. The device is applicable for the regeneration of ultrafast data streams in which the signal-to-noise ratio is severely deteriorated.     

利用非线性光学环路镜实现多个波长的同时变换

利用非线性光不路镜（ＮＯＬＭ）成功地实现了多个波长的同时变换,最大波长变换间距大于２５ｎｍ。实验系统中采用增益开关分布反馈半导体激光器（ＧＳ ＤＦＢ－ＬＤ）产生的超短光脉冲作为控制光,频谱分割法得到多波长激光作为信号光。改变控制光的输入功率或非线性光学环路镜中的偏振控制器的偏振方向能够改变不同变换波长信号的性能。     

A triple function linear fiber laser with passive mode-locking and continuous-wave single-wavelength and multiwavelength lasing

We propose a fiber laser that can operate with passive mode-locking pulse output, continuous single-wavelength emission, and continuous multiwavelength emission. It consists of a nonlinear optical loop mirror (NOLM) in a linear cavity. The NOLM is used to induce different kinds of intensity-dependent feedback, which determine the operation mode of the laser. We have experimentally demonstrated that the fiber laser can easily be switched between the operation modes. The results may find useful applications in optical communication and fiber sensing.     

Polarization insensitive linear intensity modulation in a Sagnac fiber-optic loop with an electro-optic cell and optoelectronic feedback

We present a modulation scheme consisting of a fiber-optic Sagnac interferometer, which has an electro-optic modulator (Pockels cell) in the loop of the interferometer. In order to diminish the nonlinearity of the Sagnac interferometer transmittance function, we monitor a very small part of the output light intensity by means of a photodiode and then amplify this signal by a constant factor ξ. This amplified signal is added to the electrical modulating signal that is being applied to the electro-optical modulator. The consequence of introducing this feedback loop is that by properly choosing the amplifying factor ξ, we can increase the linearity of the modulation. The device is insensitive to the polarization state of the input light, so it should be used for intensity modulation of nonpolarized light with up to 100% modulation depth. The theoretical and experimental examination of the device is presented.     

非线性光纤环形镜的脉冲透过特性研究

研究了光纤反常色散区非线性环形镜（NOLM）的脉冲透过特性，得到NOLM周期性透过率函数 第一极大值处透过率、压缩比和对应的孤子阶数与环长之间的函数关系图.通过比较长环和 短环NOLM对无啁啾、啁啾脉冲的透过率和压缩比特性，得出了长环有利于脉冲整形而短环有 利于脉冲压缩的结论. 关键词： 非线性环形镜 透过率 压缩比 孤子阶数     

Demonstration of sharp switching from a power-symmetric NOLM and a polarizer

We demonstrate theoretically, experimentally and numerically that a steep all-optical transfer characteristic can be obtained from a power-symmetric NOLM, including a quarter wave retarder and highly twisted fibre, followed by a polarizer. We first develop a theoretical analysis to show that, if the input polarisation is chosen linear, then for a correct choice of the wave plate and input polarisation angles the transmission grows from zero with a 4 dB/dB slope as power is increased, two times faster than can be obtained with a NOLM alone. An experimental study is then realised, which supports the theoretical results. Steep switching is demonstrated for reasonably low peak power levels that do not exceed 8 W, less than one third of the NOLM critical power. In addition, using the same setup we demonstrate the possibility to obtain a sinusoidal transmission characteristic that cancels out for a particular nonzero value of input power, which can be easily adjusted simply through rotation of the wave plate and output polarizer. This setup would be very useful in the frame of optical pulse shaping and signal processing applications, among others.     

Coherent combining of tunable erbium-doped fiber lasers by a single-mode fiber feedback loop

We experimentally demonstrate the coherent combining of two tunable erbium-doped fiber lasers by using a single-mode fiber feedback loop configuration. A single-mode fiber is arranged in the feedback loop to filter the far-field pattern, and the energy of desired in-phase mode is collected and injected into the resonators of two component fiber lasers. The coherently combined laser is tunable over a wide spectrum ranging from 1536 to 1569 nm, which means that the combining scheme is compatible with wavelength tuning. The effects and necessity of whether adopting polarization controlling measures or not in component lasers are investigated in detail. The results indicate that adding polarization controlling can improve the array＇s coherence, whereas it will decrease the output power and efficiency simultaneously.     

All-optical pulse shaping for ultrawideband doublet pulses using nonlinear optical loop mirror with optical parametric amplification

We propose and experimentally demonstrate an alternative photonic scheme for the generation of ultrawideband (UWB) doublet pulses, which is based on an optical fiber-based nonlinear optical loop mirror (NOLM) incorporating the optical parametric amplification (OPA) effect. The proposed scheme uses both cross-phase modulation and OPA within an optical fiber-based NOLM to produce an ideal transfer function for the shaping of input soliton pulses into doublet pulses. Using the proposed scheme, a successful conversion of input soliton pulses into doublet pulses is readily demonstrated. The system performance of UWB doublet pulses is also assessed by propagating the 1.25?Gbit/s doublet pulses over a fiber link. Error-free UWB doublet signal transmission is demonstrated.     

All-Optical WDM Buffer System Realized by NOLM and Feedback Loop Structure

We propose an all-optical WDM buffer for optical packet switching system, which consists of NOLM and feedback loop. The proposed structure provides more than 40 turn buffering and nice output of buffered data when selected by control signal.     

Distributed feedback laser action by polarization modulation

Laser action was generated in dye-doped sol–gel glass waveguides and in liquid solutions by crossing two beams from a frequency-doubled neodymium:YAG laser. The angle between the polarization directions of the two beams was varied continuously from 90. The case of 0° corresponded to pure intensity modulation. As the angle increased, the degree of intensity modulation decreased, resulting in the decline and finally the demise of the laser output. At 90°, corresponding to pure polarization modulation, distributed feedback laser action with narrow line-width output was again observed when the pump energy was increased three-fold. The laser output also showed different polarization characteristics when the feedback mechanism was changed from intensity modulation to polarization modulation. Received: 13 February 2003 / Revised version: 3 April 2003 / Published online: 22 May 2003 RID="*" ID="*"Corresponding author. Fax: 852/2603-5204, E-mail: dlo@sun1.phy.cuhk.edu.hk