Phase-matched electrooptic modulator at 84 GHz for blue light: Theory,experimental test and applications

We describe the theory and experimental realization of an ultrafast phase-matched electrooptic modulator, working with 486 nm light and a modulation frequency of 84 GHz. To achieve phase matching for arbitrarily high modulation frequencies the laser beam is guided with several internal total reflections along a zig-zag path through a LiTaO₃ crystal. The method was studied experimentally with a 84 GHz modulator and a highly stable 486 nm dye laser. The maximum modulation index of this setup was about 5.0%. Beat signals between either the first- or the second-order sidebands and another laser were observed. This modulator was used to directly measure the 671 GHz 1S–2S isotope shift of hydrogen and deuterium with radio-frequency accuracy.     

Fiber laser switched by a long period grating interferometer as an intra-cavity loss modulator

In this paper we present an actively switched fiber laser with an all-fiber long-period grating-based interferometer used as an intra-cavity loss modulator. The modulator consists of two equal long-period gratings written sequentially in the same piece of a double-clad optical fiber. One of the gratings is fixed onto a piezoceramic cylinder producing fast modulation of the interferometer transmission spectrum. The laser demonstrates a stable regime of pulsed emission at repetition rates in the range of tens of kHz.     

Asymmetrically Apodized Linearly Chirped Fiber Bragg Gratings for Efficient Pulse Compression

Abstract

A simple and stable technique of optical short pulse generation for soliton transmission based on external modulation is reviewe.By using nonlinearity of absorption characteristics of an electroabsorption modulator, ultra-short optical pulse trains having a shape close to sech² shape can be generated just with sinusoidal modulation, without ultra-short driving pulses and ultra-broad bandwidth of the modulator. The pulse width and the repetition rate can be varied by changing the electrical driving conditions. Quasi-transform-limited optical pulseswith time-bandwidth product of 0.32 were successfully generated by the sinusoidally driven InGaAsP electroabsorption modulator with up to 20 GHz repetition rate. An application of a λ/4-shifted DFB laser-electroabsorption modulator integrated light source to a single-chip soliton source is also described. The high quality of the modulator-generator pulses has been proven by long-distance soliton transmission over 6400 km at 2.5 Gb/s using a recirculating fiber loop.     

Ultra-short pulse generation for soliton transmission using electroabsorption modulators

A simple and stable technique of optical short pulse generation for soliton transmission based on external modulation is reviewe.By using nonlinearity of absorption characteristics of an electroabsorption modulator, ultra-short optical pulse trains having a shape close to sech² shape can be generated just with sinusoidal modulation, without ultra-short driving pulses and ultra-broad bandwidth of the modulator. The pulse width and the repetition rate can be varied by changing the electrical driving conditions. Quasi-transform-limited optical pulseswith time-bandwidth product of 0.32 were successfully generated by the sinusoidally driven InGaAsP electroabsorption modulator with up to 20 GHz repetition rate. An application of a λ/4-shifted DFB laser-electroabsorption modulator integrated light source to a single-chip soliton source is also described. The high quality of the modulator-generator pulses has been proven by long-distance soliton transmission over 6400 km at 2.5 Gb/s using a recirculating fiber loop.     

All-fiber actively Q-switched fiber laser tuned by a pair of temperature controlled fiber Bragg gratings

We report an all-fiber actively Q-switched erbium-doped fiber laser, where the linear laser cavity mirrors are composed of two fiber Bragg gratings (FBGs). The laser oscillation wavelength could be tuned by this pair of temperature controlled FBGs. The Q-switching is achieved by an all-fiber phase modulation device. Using this system, we could obtain stable Q-switched laser pulses output, which could be optimized by tuning the reflection wavelengths of the two FBGs to be adjacent to each other. Instead of being modulated by the FBG filter in high-speed oscillation, this fiber laser system is operating in the Q-switched regime using an all-fiber phase modulator, producing a more stable laser output spectrum.     

Compact and efficient Kerr-lens mode-locked diode-pumped actively Q-switched YVO4-Nd:YVO4 laser

By using a simple linear configuration, a stable and efficient YVO₄-Nd:YVO₄ laser, actively Q-switched by an acousto-optic modulator and passively mode-locked by KLM is realized, from which the great average output power, the high efficiency are obtained and the mode-locked pulse inside the Q-switched pulse has a repetition rate of 470 MHz. The nearly 100% modulation depth of the Q-switched mode-locked pulses can be obtained at any pump power over the threshold. Considering the Kerr-lens effect of laser medium and Q-switching by an acousto-optic modulator, we have analyzed the self-mode-locked YVO₄-Nd:YVO₄ laser by using the nonlinear ABCD propagation matrix and the hyperbolic fluctuation mechanism. The numerical solutions are in good agreement with the experimental results.     

Electroabsorption modulators operating at 1.3 μm on GaAs substrates

This paper describes the growth and device performance of electroabsorption modulators on GaAs substrates operating near 1.3 m, the dispersion minimum for silica fibres. The key to the successful molecular beam epitaxial (MBE) growth of these devices was the incorporation of a linearly-graded buffer layer beneath the InGaAs/AlGaAs multi-quantum-well active layer. Both transmission and reflection modulators are produced. For transmission devices, larger modulation is achieved when the buffer is graded more slowly: The maximum modulation reported was 22% for T/T _O corresponding to a 0.86 dB contrast ratio with an insertion loss of roughly 5 dB at 1.34 m. Antireflection coating a transmission modulator yields a reasonable reflection modulator. However, improved performance is reported for a reflection modulator using a novel technique of integrating the bottom quarter-wave mirror into a buffer with linearly-graded In composition. At 1.33 m, a normally-off reflection modulator with an integrated mirror exhibited a R/R _O of 73%, a constrast ratio of 2.38 dB, and an insertion loss of 4 dB.     

基于插入损耗的光纤信号调制器

基于光纤连接的横向偏移造成的插入损耗研制了一种的新型的光纤信号光调制器。调节对接光纤的横向偏移,可以调节对接光纤间的光耦合效率,利用调制信号调制横向偏移可实现对光纤传输光信号的调制。实验中,将调制电信号放大并加载于压电陶瓷使其振荡,由此控制对接光纤的横向偏移与调制信号同步变化,实现了对下一级光纤输出端光强的调制。这种光纤信号调制器主要针对光的振幅调制,实验中获得调制度优于95%,信噪比约为20dB,带宽约为200kHz。具有价格低廉、调制度高的特点,可应用于光纤传输信号的调制及信号斩波等。     

Optical holographic memory using angular-rotationally phase-coded multiplexing in a LiNbO3:Fe crystal

We propose a new holographic memory scheme based on random-phase-coded multiplexing in a photorefractive LiNbO₃:Fe crystal. Experimental results show that rotating a diffuser placed as a random-phase modulator in the path of the reference beam provides a simple yet effective method of increasing the holographic storage capabilities of the crystal. Combining this rotational multiplexing with angular multiplexing offers further data-storage possibilities. The advantage of using post-image versus pre-image phase modulation of the object beam is demonstrated. Received: 15 August 2000 / Published online: 10 January 2001     

The benefits of multibit chaotic sigma delta modulation

Sigma delta modulation is a popular technique for high-resolution analog-to-digital conversion and digital-to-analog conversion. We investigate chaotic phenomena in multibit first-order sigma-delta modulators. Particular attention is placed on the occurrence of periodic orbits or limit cycles. These may result in idle tones audible to the listener when sigma-delta modulation is used for audio signal processing. One suggested method of eliminating idle tones is the operation of a sigma delta modulator in the chaotic regime. Unfortunately, chaotic modulation of a first order sigma delta modulator is a poor system for signal processing. We show that minor variations on a traditional first order sigma-delta modulator, together with a multibit implementation, may be used to produce an effective, stable chaotic modulator that accurately encodes the input and helps remove the presence of idle tones. (c) 2001 American Institute of Physics.     

Performance evaluation of N × 40 Gbps CS-RZ and DCS-RZ modulated signals transmitted over single mode fiber based on non-ideal LiNbO<Subscript>3</Subscript> Mach-Zehnder modulators

We investigate the transmission performance of N × 40 Gbps carrier-suppressed return-to-zero (CS-RZ) and duobinary CS-RZ (DCS-RZ) modulated wavelength division multiplexed (WDM) signals over the standard single-mode fiber (SSMF) based on non-ideal Mach-Zehnder (MZ) modulators through numerical simulations. In addition to that, the impact on receiver margin related to the residual chirp due to an asymmetry ratio of modulators as well as the effect of the applied chirp of modulators has been studied. As the asymmetry ratio of modulators is increased, dispersion penalties are increased asymmetrically at around the zero dispersion wavelength for the CS-RZ format. The DCS-RZ modulation format has a symmetric behavior due to different characteristics of the residual chirp of modulators. The receiver margin for the DCS-RZ modulation format is larger than the CS-RZ modulation format above the asymmetry ratio of 0.82 of modulators (extinction ratio of 20 dB) with the optimal Δλ_DCF. By controlling the negative/positive applied chirp of the first/second modulator, dispersion penalties can be reduced for both the CS-RZ and DCS-RZ formats. In the DCS-RZ format compared to the CS-RZ format, the effect of the applied chirp of the first modulator is more dominant than that of the second modulator. The simulation results show that the receiver margin is limited by the asymmetry ratio of modulators as well as a deviated wavelength from the zero dispersion wavelength of dispersion compensating fibers (DCF) in order to be fully post-compensated. Dispersion penalties can be reduced with appropriate chirp parameters of two non-ideal modulators.     

SBN:60晶体的电光诱导光波导及其调制器

本文首次报道了在SBN:60(Sr_(0.6)Ba_(0.4)Nb_2O_6)单晶上观察到DC(直流)电光诱导光波导的形成,以及当反转上述DC极性时光由电极间隙下低折射率区折向衬底的现象,并根据上述现象演示了一种不同于以光相位调制为基础的新的低压高调制度的电光光强调制器。     

A magneto-optically modulated CH3OH laser for Faraday rotation measurements in Tokamaks

Distortion-free intracavity polarization modulation of an optically pumped CH₃OH laser is shown to be viable. The possible use of this modulation technique to make a multichannel Faraday rotation measurement on a Tokamak device is discussed. In addition, the CdTe Faraday modulator employed in this study is shown to have an anomalously large Verdet constant.     

Best candidate materials for fast speed response and high transmission performance efficiency of acousto optic modulators

An acousto-optic modulator (AOM), also called a Bragg cell, uses the acousto-optic effect to diffract and shift the frequency of light using sound waves (usually at radio frequency). They are used in lasers for quality switching, telecommunications for signal modulation, and in spectroscopy for frequency control. This paper has presented the best candidate selected acousto optic materials based AOM for upgrading speed response and transmission performance characteristics. These materials are common materials for acousto-optic devices such as silica glass (SiO₂), tellurium dioxide TeO₂), gallium phosphide, and gallium arsenide. As well as we have deeply investigated the important transmission characteristics of acousto optic modulators such as transmission performance efficiency, transmission bit rate, diffraction angle and efficiency, transient speed response, signal transmission quality, bit error rate and modulation bandwidth under wide range of the affecting parameters for different selected acousto optic materials to be the major of interest.     

A method of reducing the half wave voltage (Vπ) of an electro-optic modulator by multi passing a light through the modulator

Electro-optic material has several applications in optical communication, integrated optics and in data processing. The modulator is generally used for the purpose of amplitude and phase modulation of optical wave by the electrical message signal. Again the V_π voltage of an electro-optic modulator is an important parameter for the modulator. For the application of the V_π amount of electrical signal in the modulator the phase difference between two specific orthogonally polarized light waves changes from 0 to π. Thus the increase of V_π relates with the increase of electrical power requirement for modulation. Here in this paper the authors propose a new and novel concept for reduction of V_π voltage for the modulator. To reduce the value of the V_π voltage the multi passing technique of the beam through the modulator is used. If V_π is reduced the power requirement as well as the modulation cost will be greatly reduced to achieve a faithful and a meaningful optical communication. This paper describes also the necessary optical systems required for the multi passing technique.     

Diode array pumped, non-linear mirror Q-switched and mode-locked Nd : YVO4 laser — a good tool for powder SHG measurement

A non-linear mirror consisting of a lithium triborate crystal and a dichroic output coupler are used to mode-lock (passively) an Nd : YVO₄ laser, pumped by a diode laser array. The laser can operate both in cw mode-locked and simultaneously Q-switched and mode-locked (QML) regime. The peak power of the laser while operating in QML regime is much higher but pulses suffers from poor amplitude stability. The incorporation of an acousto-optic modulator as an active Q-switch enhances the stability of the QML pulse envelope. The second-order non-linearity of powdered crystalline urea is conclusively measured with respect to KDP while the laser is operating in passively Q-switched and passively mode-locked regime as well as in actively Q-switched and passively mode-locked regime.     

Ultrasensitive terahertz/infrared waveguide modulators based on multilayer graphene metamaterials

This paper studies and classifies the electromagnetic regimes of multilayer graphene‐dielectric artificial metamaterials in the terahertz/infrared range. The employment of such composites for waveguide‐integrated modulators is analysed and three examples of novel tunable devices are presented. The first one is a modulator with excellent ON‐state transmission and very high modulation depth: >38 dB at 70 meV graphene's electrochemical potential (Fermi energy) change. The second one is a modulator with extreme sensitivity towards graphene's Fermi energy ‐ a minute 1 meV variation of the latter leads to >13.2 dB modulation depth. The third one is a tunable waveguide‐based passband filter. The narrow‐band cut‐off conditions around the ON‐state allow the latter to shift its central frequency by 1.25% per every meV graphene's Fermi energy change.     

The transmission performance of the single sideband optical millimeter-wave with BPSK signal in the duplex radio-over-fiber link

This paper has investigated the transmission performance of the single sideband (SSB) optical millimeter (mm)-wave with signal carried by the sideband in BPSK format in duplex radio-over-fiber (RoF) system theoretically and numerically. The SSB optical mm-wave signal is generated by a LiNbO₃ Mach–Zehnder modulator and there exists an optimal modulation index to generate the SSB optical mm-wave with a maximal RF photocurrent. The SSB optical mm-wave is much suitable for the duplex ROF link with the uplink lightwave recovered from the downlink because the optical carrier carries no signal. In such a duplex RoF link, although there are the spurs on the optical carrier, they have little influence on the downlink and the uplink signal even if the modulation index is large.     

Coupled mode analysis of light modulation in dielectric waveguides

A detailed analysis of electrooptic light modulation in optical waveguides is presented. Several important problems of a waveguide modulator, such as the difference of waveguide axes from crystalline electrooptic ones, the distribution of transverse and longitudinal field components of light modes, and the traveling-wave property of the modulating field, are discussed. The analysis is based on the coupled mode theory, regarding the modulation as the coupling among sidebands of unperturbed waveguide modes. The coupled mode equation is derived for the modulation in optical waveguides. It can be solved if the normal modes of the waveguide are given. Actually the equation is solved for the modulation in dielectric slab waveguides and the mechanism of modulation is discussed. The results of the analysis are applied to designing two types of waveguide modulators. In an example (10.6 μm modulator with a GaAs slab waveguide) a new efficient crystal orientation is found. The calculated phase retardation with this orientation is 0.13 rad/(V·cm) with a 1 μm thick slab. Another example of a 0.633 μm modulator using a LiTaO₃ crystal as a substrate is also described.     

Actively mode-locked optical parametric oscillator

We report on what we believe to be the first demonstration of active mode locking of an optical parametric oscillator. An acousto-optic modulator is inserted into a nearly degenerate (approximately 1064 nm) and doubly resonant optical parametric oscillator based on periodically poled LiNbO3 and pumped with the second harmonic of a quasi-continuous-wave single-frequency Nd:YAG laser. When the modulation frequency is matched to the free spectral range of the cavity (120 MHz), a pulsed regime is observed, with pulse durations as short as 700 ps.