Dynamics of optical pulse amplification and saturation in multiple state quantum dot semiconductor optical amplifiers

We have developed a novel analytical model, which describes the dynamic characteristics of optical pulse amplification and saturation in three state quantum dot (QD) semiconductor optical amplifiers (SOAs). The model takes into account the effect of the ground state, the excited state and the 2-dimensional wetting layer. The model is simple, accurate and fast, which makes it suitable for device design and characterization. The derived model has been utilized to study large-signal cross-gain modulation and crosstalk in multi-channel QD-SOA. Analytical expressions for large signal cross-gain modulation and crosstalk in multichannel SOA are derived. The effect of the dot relaxation/escape lifetimes and energy separation between QD states on cross-gain modulation and crosstalk are also studied. Our calculations show that by reducing QD energy state separation, via engineering the dot size and composition, one can reduce the cross-gain modulation efficiency and reduce crosstalk in multi-channel QD-SOAs.     

Theory of pulse propagation and four-wave mixing in a quantum dot semiconductor optical amplifier

A theory, combining the relations of pulse traveling into quantum dot (QD) semiconductor optical amplifier (SOA) with the four-wave mixing (FWM) theory in these SOAs, is developed. Carrier density pulsation (CDP), carrier heating (CH), and spectral hole burning (SHB) contributions on FWM efficiency are discussed. Effect of QD ground state and wetting layer are included. An additional parameter appears in the gain integral relation of QD SOAs. An equation formulating pulses in the QD SOAs is introduced. We have found that FWM in QD SOAs is detuning and is pulse width dependent. For short pulses, CH is dominant at high detunings (10–100 GHz) while at higher detunings (>100 GHz) the SHB is the dominant one. Undesired paunch behavior is shown in QD SOAs then, CDP must be reduced.     

Ultra-short optical pulse shaping using semiconductor optical amplifier

Optical ultra-short pulse compression and amplification using semiconductor optical amplifier (SOA) is presented. Using pump-probe pulse configuration, we present an SOA model which includes the nonlinear effects such as, spectral hole burning (SHB), carrier heating (CH), two-photon absorption (TPA) and group velocity dispersion (GVD) taking into account gain spectrum effect. Then by adjusting time delay between the pump pulse and probe pulse we use the model for simultaneous compression and amplification of probe pulse. We also analyze the four wave mixing (FWM) signal during pulse compression process. It is shown that dispersive effect of GVD on output probe pulse becomes more important for larger cavity length and probe-pump pulses relative time delays.     

利用微扰法分析两个相互耦合的参量四波混频过程

利用微扰法在旋转波近似下分析了铷原子中两个独立的参量四波混频过程和一个耦合的参量四波混频过程.当用超短激光脉冲相干激发这两个参量四波混频过程时,两个过程就会同时出现并且存在相互耦合作用.微扰分析表明,耦合的参量四波混频信号中可以观察到量子拍,量子拍幅度的大小不仅取决于超短脉冲的特性,而且依赖于两个耦合的参量四波混频过程中的相位匹配.     

基于光纤四波混频波长转换和色散的慢光实验研究

对基于光纤四波混频（FWM）波长转换和色散的慢光实现进行了详细和系统的实验研究.首先,实验测定了高非线性光纤中FWM带宽约为40 nm,从而确定了慢光的可调谐带宽;接着,在普通单模光纤和色散补偿光纤（DCF）中针对500 MHz正弦信号和100 ps短脉冲信号分别实现了34和198 ns的脉冲延迟,在DCF中还实现了209 ns的脉冲提前.讨论了增大延迟量的方法,指出随着宽带FWM波长转换的实现和大色散光纤的应用有望获得微秒量级的大延迟量,从而为高性能光纤延迟线和全光缓存器等应用提供支持. 关键词： 慢光 四波混频 色散     

Transient intraband light absorption by quantum dots: Pump-probe spectroscopy

We have developed a theory of a transient intraband light absorption by semiconductor quantum dots. This absorption plays an important role in the two-pulse pump-probe method, which enables determining the energy relaxation rates of electron-hole excited states. We have considered all possible schemes of this process wherein the carrier frequency of optical pump pulses is close to the resonance with the interband transition of the quantum-dot electronic subsystem, while the carrier frequency of probe pulses is resonant to the intraband transition. For ensembles of identical and size-distributed quantum dots, the probe pulse energy absorption induced by the pump pulse is analyzed in relation to the delay time between the pulses. We have found that, under certain conditions, this dependence can be described by a single, two, or three exponentials. The exponents of the exponentials are proportional to the energy relaxation rates of electron-hole excited states.     

Nonlinear absorption of light pulses under conditions of two-photon resonance in bulk crystals and nanostructures in the femtosecond pump-probe spectroscopy mode

A theory of nonlinear absorption of femtosecond light pulses by bulk crystals and nanostructures of different dimensions in the pump-probe spectroscopy mode has been developed. Expressions for the energy absorbed from the probe pulse under conditions of two-photon resonances are derived for transitions between the discrete or band electronic states and between the size-quantization subband states in quantum wells and quantum wires. The dependences of the energy absorbed from the probe pulse on the two-photon resonance detuning and on the time delay between the pulses are analyzed. The dependence of the power absorbed from the probe pulse on the time is also obtained.     

FDTD simulation of wavelength conversion of ultrashort pulses utilizing intersubband absorption in AlGaN/GaN quantum wells

The four-wave mixing (FWM) characteristics of 500-fs pulses in nonlinear optical waveguides utilizing the saturation of the intersubband absorption at 1.55 μm in nitride multiple quantum wells are calculated by a one-dimensional finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) method combined with three-level rate equations describing the intersubband carrier dynamics. Efficiency for a 100-nm wavelength conversion in a 160-μm waveguide is predicted to be higher than 3% both for up- and down-conversions. The extinction ratio is higher than 20 dB. As for the short-pulse application, however, the conversion efficiency is strongly dependent on the phase difference between the pump and signal pulses, especially when the efficiency is high. This causes ambiguity in the output power. Therefore, the cross-loss-modulation (XLM) converter is preferable to the FWM converter for OTDM application. The FWM converters are considered to be applicable to simultaneous conversion of WDM signals.     

基于平衡光学互相关方法的超短脉冲激光相干合成技术

相干合成技术是超快光学领域的重要研究方向之一.当单路脉冲激光的连续谱超过一个倍频程时,精确控制其光谱相位(色散管理)是获得亚周期超短脉冲激光的关键.由于常见的脉冲压缩系统存在光谱带宽限制,因此多通道相干合成技术受到了广泛的关注.本文将充气空心光纤展宽后的超倍频程连续光谱分波段独立压缩,并利用平衡光学互相关方法锁定子脉冲之间的相位延迟,获得了4.1 fs的合成脉冲.实验结果表明相干合成技术在高能量亚周期超快光场调控中存在优势.     

Quantum cascade structure for mid-IR four-wave mixing

The design and modeling of a quantum cascade optical amplifier (QCOA) using intra-cavity non-linear interactions to achieve wavelength conversion is proposed. The model is based on the nonlinear equation coupled with Maxwell wave equations for different emission modes. In the proposed structure, four wave mixing (FWM) output exhibits a peak as a function of pump and probe frequency if they are tuned to the energy levels of the QC structure subbands. Results demonstrate that the FWM output signal power significantly depends on how subbands are engineered and interact with optical pulses which propagate in multi layer medium. In addition, we show that by adjusting pump and probe signal frequencies, FWM output power can be tuned.     

Robust quantum dot exciton generation via adiabatic passage with frequency-swept optical pulses

The energy states in semiconductor quantum dots are discrete as in atoms, and quantum states can be coherently controlled with resonant laser pulses. Long coherence times allow the observation of Rabi flopping of a single dipole transition in a solid state device, for which occupancy of the upper state depends sensitively on the dipole moment and the excitation laser power. We report on the robust population inversion in a single quantum dot using an optical technique that exploits rapid adiabatic passage from the ground to an excited state through excitation with laser pulses whose frequency is swept through the resonance. This observation in photoluminescence experiments is made possible by introducing a novel optical detection scheme for the resonant electron hole pair (exciton) generation.     

基于瞬态光栅频率分辨光学开关装置的阿秒延时相位控制

操控多路激光脉冲之间的相对延时（相对相位）对于亚周期相干合成技术意义重大.当周期量级脉冲之间的相对延时接近数十飞秒时,常见的飞秒脉冲测量手段已无法满足脉冲之间相对相位的精确调控需求.本文基于瞬态光栅频率分辨光学开关装置,精确反演出脉冲之间的相对相位.此方案不仅有助于直接产生亚周期（亚飞秒）脉冲,还可应用于时间隐身学和二维相干光谱学等相关领域.     

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.     

互注入锁定产生双波长可调谐光脉冲的实验研究

报道了两个增益开关调制的法布里-珀罗半导体激光器互注入锁定实验方案,可产生双波长可调谐光脉冲。该装置对两个结构基本相同的法布里珀罗半导体激光器做增益开关调制,产生多模光脉冲输出;然后利用两个光纤光栅作为滤波元件,通过调节可调谐光延迟线(VODL2),可使得双波长光脉冲在两个法布里-珀罗激光器之间相互注入锁定．从而在输出端得到高边模抑制比的双波长光脉冲输出。然后再通过应力作用在两个光纤光栅上以改变它们的反射波长和适当调整另一个可调谐光延迟线(VODLI)长度．可得到不同的双波长的光脉冲输出,而重复频率保持524．6MHz不变。在13．2nm调谐范围内边模抑制比高于25dB．系统稳定且波长调节方便。     

Bit rate and pulse width dependence of four-wave mixing of short optical pulses in semiconductor optical amplifiers

We investigate the saturation properties of four-wave mixing of short optical pulses in a semiconductor optical amplifier. By varying the gain of the optical amplifier, we find a strong dependence of both conversion efficiency and signal-to-background ratio on pulse width and bit rate. In particular, the signal-to-background ratio can be optimized for a specific amplifier gain. This behavior, which is coherently described in experiment and theory, is attributed to the dynamics of the amplified spontaneous emission, which is the main source of noise in a semiconductor optical amplifier.     

Analysis of polarization dependence for OTDM demultiplexers based on four-wavelength mixing in semiconductor optical amplifier

In optical time-division multiplexing (OTDM) systems using the four-wave mixing (FWM) in a semiconductor optical amplifier (SOA) for time demultiplexing, the polarization states of control pulse and OTDM data lights are an important factor in the optical time demultiplexing process, which can influence the bit error rate (BER) of OTDM systems. In this paper, we analyze the effect of light polarization states on the FWM of a SOA, and use a simulation approach to study the BER performance of 100 Gbit/s OTDM systems that use the FWM in a SOA for optical time demultiplexing. It reveals that the BER or Q factor of OTDM systems is dependent on the misalignment θ between the polarization states of OTDM data and control lights. With increasing θ, both the optical power of resulting FWM component and the BER performance (or Q factor) of OTDM systems is degraded. For linearly polarized lights, our results show that the increase of BER and the reduction in Q factor are made smoothly when θ changes its value from 0° to 75°, whereas the degradation of BER and Q factor becomes rapid when θ exceeds 75°. Although the best system BER is obtained for θ = 0°, the BER performance can still tolerate some misalignment θ (e.g., up to 20° in our simulation). This is useful for the engineering design and applications of SOA-based optical time demultiplexers.     

Transient interband light absorption by quantum dots: Degenerate pump-probe spectroscopy

The optical pump-probe method, which makes it possible to determine the energy relaxation rate for excited electron-hole pairs and excitons in semiconductor quantum dots (QDs), is theoretically described. A scheme in which the carrier frequencies of optical pump and probe pulses are close to resonance with the same interband transition in the QD electron subsystem (degenerate case) is considered. The pump-induced probe energy absorption is analyzed as a function of the delay time between the pump and probe pulses. It is shown that under certain conditions this dependence is reduced to monoexponential, whose exponent is proportional to the energy relaxation rate for the considered state of electron-hole pairs and excitons. The size dependence of the energy relaxation rate of the electron-hole pair states is modeled by the example of PbSe-based QDs, whose electron subsystem is in the strong-confinement regime.     

双共振激发多光子电离过程中电离光电子谱的量子相干调制

利用缀饰态和微扰理论,研究了双共振激发多光子电离过程中电离光电子谱的量子相干特性,讨论了强场作用下激发脉冲的面积和脉冲间的延迟对多光子电离光电子谱的影响.结果表明,脉冲面积和脉冲间的延迟对电离光电子谱有明显的调制作用.当第一个脉冲的面积和脉冲间的延迟选取合适时,实现了多光子电离光电子谱Autler-Townes分裂以及电离光电子谱中干涉条纹的控制,并且利用这一量子相干控制实现了粒子在两个缀饰态之间的选择性布居;第二个脉冲面积的变化不影响两个缀饰态上的粒子布居几率,但对电离光电子谱有着明显的调制作用.     

Four-wave mixing model solutions for polarization control of terahertz pulse generated by a two-color laser field in air

A four-wave mixing （FWM） model is used to analyze the polarization control of terahertz （THz） pulse generated by a two-color laser field in air. The analytic formula for the THz intensity varying with the THz polarizer angle, and the relative phase between the two pulses, are obtained. The corresponding numerical results agree well with both numerical result obtained from a quantum model and measured data reported. Moreover, possible phenomena are predicted for variables not found in other experiments. Compared with the quantum model, the FWM model gives analytic formulas and clear physical pictures, and has the advantage of efficient computing time.