Multicore, tapered optical fiber for nonlinear pulse reshaping and saturable absorption

We present a new method to create a coupled waveguide array via tapering a seven-core telecommunications fiber. The fiber based waveguide array is demonstrated to exhibit the novel physics associated with coupled waveguide arrays, such as discrete diffraction and discrete self-focusing. The saturable absorber characteristics of the device are characterized and an autocorrelation measurement reveals significant single-pass pulse reshaping.     

Spectrum reshaping of amplified pulse in silicon nanowaveguide

A device consisting of a cascaded semiconductor optical amplifier (SOA) and silicon on insulator (SOI) optical waveguide is presented to amplify and reshape the frequency spectrum of optical pulses in the picoseconds time duration. Numerical simulations show that the output spectrum of the amplified pulse by SOA can be effectively reshaped by utilizing the SOI waveguide. The length of the SOI waveguide may be judiciously adjusted to significantly reduce the frequency chirp of the output pulse from the SOA resulting in reshaping of the output spectrum. We find that the property of pulse spectrum is sensitive to the input pulse power and its temporal width.     

Self-compression of ultrashort pulses through ionization-induced spatiotemporal reshaping

We present the first demonstration of a new mechanism for temporal compression of ultrashort light pulses that operates at high (i.e., ionizing) intensities. By propagating pulses inside a hollow waveguide filled with low-pressure argon gas, we demonstrate a self-compression from 30 to 13 fs, without the need for any external dispersion compensation. Theoretical models show that 3D spatiotemporal reshaping of the pulse due to a combination of ionization-induced spectral broadening, plasma-induced refraction, and guiding in the hollow waveguide are necessary to explain the compression mechanism.     

Ultra-fast saturable absorber through spatial self-trapping and filtering in Ti:PPLN film waveguides

Numerical and experimental investigations on ultra-fast all-optical saturable absorber on picosecond optical pulses at 1547 nm using spatial self-trapped propagation in a quadratic nonlinear film waveguide combined with spatial filtering are reported. The influences of phase-mismatch, pulse intensity and spatial filtering on the temporal reshaping mechanism are discussed to derive the optimum parameters. PACS 42.65.Ky, 42.65.Re, 42.65.Wi     

Passive mode-locking by use of waveguide arrays

A novel mode-locking technique is presented in which the intensity-dependent spatial coupling dynamics of a waveguide array is used to achieve temporal mode-locking in a passive optical fiber laser. By use of the discrete, nearest-neighbor spatial coupling of the waveguide array, low-intensity light can be transferred to the neighboring waveguides and ejected (attenuated) from the laser cavity. In contrast, higher-intensity light is self-focused in the waveguide and remains largely unaffected. Numerical studies of this pulse shaping mechanism (intensity discrimination) show that using current waveguide arrays and standard optical fiber technology produces stable and robust mode-locked soliton-like pulses.     

The pulse reshaping characteristics of V:YAG in passively Q-switched Nd:YVO<Subscript>4</Subscript>/Cr:YAG laser at 1064 nm

The pulse reshaping characteristics of V:YAG in a 1064-nm Cr:YAG Q-switched laser have been demonstrated. The pulse duration is compressed by as much as 55% in contrast to Cr:YAG solely Q-switched lasers. The minimum pulse duration is 28 ns with the pulse repetition rate of 98 kHz. The stability and symmetry of the pulses are also obviously improved. The results shows V:YAG is a potential reshaping element for 1-μm pulses.     

GaP波导型发射器产生频率可调谐太赫兹脉冲

报道了利用脉宽可调的光子晶体光纤飞秒激光放大器抽运矩形波导结构的GaP晶体太赫兹(THz) 发射器产生频率可调谐的超快THz脉冲.非线性晶体中光整流过程产生的THz辐射频率随抽运光脉冲宽度而 变化. GaP波导THz发射器可通过波导的几何尺寸来控制色散,以达到增加有效作用长度和提高输出功率的目的. 不同横截面尺寸的波导型发射器的THz辐射峰值频率随相位匹配条件的改变而改变,加以脉宽调节技术, 可以在大频谱范围获得频谱精细可调的THz脉冲.实验中在1 mm×0.7 mm的波导型THz发射器中获得了 频率可调谐的THz脉冲.提出实现THz辐射频率大范围调谐的GaP波导型阵列发射器的实施方案.     

Measurement of net group and reshaping delays for optical pulses in dispersive media

We experimentally demonstrate the direct measurement of net group and reshaping delays for arbitrary optical pulses in dispersive media, verifying the earlier prediction of Peatross et al. [Phys. Rev. Lett. 84, 2370 (2000)]. Incoherent pulse propagation in an absorptionless system is well described by net group delay; even the medium causes a great deal of deformation in the transmitted pulse. However, in the case of phase modulated chirping pulses in a resonant absorber, the so-called superluminal or subluminal propagation velocity is strongly influenced by the reshaping delay.     

Optical rectification of highly focused near-IR pulses in the plasmon waveguide

Generation of terahertz pulses via mixing the Fourier harmonics of strongly focused near-IR pumping laser pulses in a plasmon waveguide filled with a nonlinear medium is considered. At a certain choice of its parameters, this waveguide provides efficient transverse confinement of the terahertz mode and a low dispersion of its refractive index. As a result, the system becomes capable of generating short fairly intense terahertz pulses. Such an approach significantly (by a factor of 50) decreases the pump power compared with that in the conventional (waveguide-free) schemes, which generate terahertz pulses from single pumping pulses (optical rectification), and still yields the same intensity of the output terahertz pulse and conversion efficiency. For the Ag-GaP-Ag structure taken as an example, optimal parameters of the plasmon waveguide and pumping pulse are found and characteristics of the output terahertz pulse are calculated.     

Passive nonlinear reshaping towards parabolic pulses in the steady-state regime in optical fibers

The passive nonlinear reshaping in normally dispersive optical fibers in the steady-state regime is studied numerically. It is found that normal dispersion and self-phase modulation are able to provide pulse reshaping towards a parabolic pulse profile at the distances exceeding the optical wave breaking length. However, as compared to the similariton formation in active fibers the resulted pulse shape in passive fibers is strongly depended on the initial pulse parameters and nonlinear and dispersive fiber properties as well. The influence of initial pulse shape, initial chirp, third-order dispersion and loss on the parabolic pulse formation is studied consistently, and estimation of practical conditions which are needed for parabolic pulses formation in a passive fiber is provided.     

Femtosecond laser direct writing of multiwavelength Bragg grating waveguides in glass

Novel Bragg grating waveguide structures have been fabricated in bulk borosilicate glass through a type II photosensitivity mechanism driven by single femtosecond laser pulses. Low-loss single-mode waveguides and narrow-linewidth Bragg gratings were generated simultaneously by forming an array of refractive index voxels in a single laser scan. Laser pulse duration is shown to significantly affect the grating strength and waveguide loss. Bragg wavelengths, defined by the periodicity of laser-modified volumes, were fully controlled by the sample scan speed to provide resonances anywhere in the 1200-1620 nm telecommunication bands. Four linear Bragg filters with distinct resonant wavelengths are presented that define the first demonstration of laser writing of multiple-wavelength and cascaded Bragg grating waveguides in a single process step.     

基于倍频波长转换中走离效应产生多个脉冲的研究

利用倍频光与泵浦光脉冲之间的走离效应,通过在周期性极化的LiNbO3波导中间增加两段未被极化的波导,1.55 μm波段的泵浦脉冲在极化的波导部分产生0.77 μm波段的倍频光,在未被极化的部分不产生倍频光,形成了三个被间隔开来的倍频子脉冲.通过差频将三个倍频子脉冲还原成1.55 μm波段的三个差频脉冲,实现了用一个泵浦脉冲产生三个转换脉冲.用数值模拟计算展示脉冲的产生及其演化过程,并讨论了用LiNbO3波导参量控制脉冲特征参量的方法.     

Generation and interference collapse of distortion-less fs pulses in free space by Fresnel sources

A method of formation of the tightly confined, distortion-free, femtosecond pulses in two dimensions (2D) with the step-like decreasing of intensity after a finite length of propagation in free space is described. The pulses are formed by the Fresnel source of modes corresponding to a 2D hollow waveguide with perfectly reflecting walls (material waveguide). The source reproduces in free space a propagation-invariant pulse confined by the waveguide. Unlike the case of material waveguides, when the pulse goes out from the virtual waveguide formed by the Fresnel source its shape does not change, but the intensity immediately drops down to the near-zero level. It is also shown that there is a limit of the duration of pulse beyond which the step-like decay is not observed.     

Generation of intense ultrabroadband optical pulses by induced phase modulation in an argon-filled single-mode hollow waveguide

We experimentally demonstrate the generation of intense ultrabroadband optical pulses whose spectrum ranges from 300 to 1000 nm (700-THz bandwidth) with a well-behaved spectral phase and 23-muJ pulse energy by a novel, simple setup utilizing induced phase modulation (IPM) in an argon-filled single-mode hollow waveguide. Fundamental as well as second-harmonic pulses produced by one common femtosecond pulse from a Ti:sapphire laser-amplifier system are copropagated in the hollow waveguide. The effect of the delay time between the two input pulses on the IPM spectral broadening is clarified and confirmed to agree with the theoretical result. It is found that the compressed pulse duration from this pulse is 1.51 fs if its phase is completely compensated for.     

Slow light pulse propagation in dispersive media

We present a theoretical and numerical analysis of pulse propagation in a semiconductor photonic crystal waveguide with embedded quantum dots in a regime where the pulse is subjected to both waveguide and material dispersion. The group index and the transmission are investigated by finite-difference-time-domain Maxwell–Bloch simulations and compared to analytic results. For long pulses the group index (transmission) for the combined system is significantly enhanced (reduced) relative to slow light based on purely material or waveguide dispersion. Shorter pulses are strongly distorted and depending on parameters broadening or break-up of the pulse may be observed. The transition from linear to nonlinear pulse propagation is quantified in terms of the spectral width of the pulse. To cite this article: T.R. Nielsen et al., C. R. Physique 10 (2009).     

Nonlinear propagation dynamics of an ultrashort pulse in a hollow waveguide

We present a theoretical investigation of the self-focusing dynamics of femtosecond pulses in a hollow waveguide. We show that transverse effects play an important role in these dynamics, even for pulses that are significantly below the critical power for self-focusing in free space, and that excitation of higher-order modes of the waveguide results in the spreading of the pulse in time. Inclusion of self-steepening and space-time focusing in our model is necessary for properly capturing the pulse dynamics.     

Picosecond all-optical switching using nonlinear Mach–Zehnder with silicon subwavelength grating and photonic wire arms

We investigate the picosecond switching capabilities of a planar waveguide interferometric photonic device when used for all-optical wavelength conversion of one picosecond pulses. Our device comprises a subwavelength grating waveguide arm and a photonic wire waveguide arm in a Mach–Zehnder configuration, fabricated on the silicon-on-insulator material platform. No detrimental effects of pulse broadening for transient pulses were observed.     

Millimeter-wave pulse generation based on pulse reshaping using superstructure fiber Bragg grating

A novel optical approach is proposed to generate millimeter wave (MMW) pulse signal based on the pulse reshaping of superstructure fiber Bragg grating (SSFBG). In our scheme, one input pico-second Gaussian pulse is transformed into n Gaussian pulses by the SSFBG reshaping firstly, and then the pulse train is replicated to form a required frequency modulation MMW optical pulse envelope by the linear chirped fiber Bragg grating (LCFBG) or other highly dispersive element. The high-speed photodetector (PD) and band-pass filter can transform the MMW optical pulse into an MMW pulse signal ultimately. Depending on this scheme, MMW signals with frequency up to 10 GHz can be easily generated by the completed fiber components.     

Theoretical and experimental studies of combined self-phase modulation and stimulated Raman-scattering in single-mode fibres

A theoretical model of pulse propagation through single-mode fibres is presented taking into account the combined action of self-phase modulation, stimulated Raman-scattering and the group velocity mismatch between pump and Stokes pulses. Due to the walk-off of Stokes and laser light an asymmetric pump pulse depletion resulting in considerable reshaping of laser pulses and an asymmetric self-phase modulation spectrum can be calculated and experimentally verified. A maximum laser power is found to be transferable through the fibre.