Non-intrusive polarization dependent loss monitoring in fiber-optic transmission systems

A method for non-intrusively monitoring the polarization dependent loss (PDL) of an installed fiber-optic transmission system is proposed using live dense wave division multiplexing (DWDM)-based traffic as the probing signal. The method extracts the statistical parameters of system PDL from the measured partial PDL data. Field measurements of PDL were performed on long-haul DWDM systems deployed in Sprint’s network and the results validated our theoretical model.     

Discrimination of strain and temperature based on a polarization-maintaining photonic crystal fiber incorporating an erbium-doped fiber

A simple sensing method for simultaneous measurement of temperature and strain is investigated by using a Sagnac fiber loop mirror composed of a polarization-maintaining photonic crystal fiber (PM-PCF) incorporating an erbium-doped fiber (EDF). Amplified spontaneous emission created by a pumped EDF is transmitted to a Sagnac fiber loop mirror. The interference between two counter-propagating signals in a Sagnac fiber loop mirror generates a periodic transmission spectrum with respect to wavelength. When external temperature is increased, the transmission peak power reduces because the amplified spontaneous emission of the EDF is decreased by the applied temperature change (0.04 dB/°C). The peak wavelength is shifted into the shorter wavelength because of the negative temperature dependence of the birefringence of the PM-PCF (0.3 pm/°C). As the applied strain increases, the peak wavelength of the transmission spectrum of the Sagnac loop mirror incorporating the EDF shifts into a longer wavelength (1.3 pm/με) because the phase change of the proposed sensing probe is directly proportional to the applied strain. The transmission peak power, however, is not changed by the applied strain. Since the source and the sensing probe are integrated, the overall system configuration is significantly simplified without requiring any additional broadband light source. Therefore, it is possible to simultaneously measure temperature and strain by monitoring the variation of transmission peak power and peak wavelength, respectively.     

Performance of a wavelength-tunable erbium-doped fiber laser using a Sagnac interferometer

We experimentally demonstrate a wavelength-tunable erbium-doped fiber laser that is composed of a ring cavity and a single-mode fiber Sagnac interferometer in a new and simple arrangement. We find that the fiber laser output wavelength is tunable by adjusting the filter effect of the Sagnac fiber loop through a fiber polarization controller set there. The quasi-single-wavelength continuously tunable laser outputs could be achieved within some wavelength range. The multi-wavelength laser outputs could also be observed under some appropriate settings of the polarization controller. A theoretical demonstration of the wavelength tunability about the transmission-type Sagnac loop filter has also been achieved using the Jones calculus theory.     

A tunable narrow-line-width multi-wavelength Er-doped fiber laser based on a high birefringence fiber ring mirror and an auto-tracking filter

A novel multi-wavelength erbium-doped fiber laser operating in C-band is proposed and successfully demonstrated. The wavelength interval between the wavelengths is about 0.22 nm. The 3 dB bandwidth of the laser is about 0.012 nm, and the output power reaches 4.8 mW. By using a high birefringence fiber ring mirror (HiBi-FLM) and a tunable FBG, the laser realizes switchable and tunable characteristic. The mode hopping can be effectively prevented. Moreover, this laser can improve wavelength stability significantly by taking advantage of an un-pumped Er³⁺-doped fiber at the standing-wave section. The laser can operate in stable narrow-line-width with single-, dual-wavelength, and unstable triple-wavelength output at room temperature.     

Measurement of multi-wavelength optical amplifier by using the I/O power-curve fitting technique

A low-cost and accurate measurement scheme for characterizing multi-wavelength optical amplifiers is experimentally demonstrated by using an amplified spontaneous emission source and a DWDM multiplexer. By linearly fitting the input and output optical spectral densities, the gain and noise figure of the optical amplifier are determined. The measured results agree well with the data obtained by time-domain-extinction method.     

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.     

Nonlinear optical correction of the pulse shape from a directly modulated DFB laser

In this work, the effect of modulation instability (MI) in optical fiber is used to reshape nanosecond pulses form a directly modulated diode laser. Our configuration includes a fiber where MI causes the side lobes in the signal spectrum and a filter at the fiber output rejecting the side lobes. Simulations show abrupt drop of the transmission of the setup if pulse power is above some critical value. We investigated the transmission for fibers with lengths in the range between 62-m and 4.5-km. The critical power was found to be inversely proportional to the fiber length. An average scaled critical power is 2.16 W km. We demonstrated the application of the method for rejection of the transient peak in a directly modulated diode laser.     

Tunable microwave photonic filter based on chirped fiber gratings working with a single optical carrier at constant wavelength

This paper presents a tunable transversal filter working with a single optical carrier at constant wavelength. The filter consists of a set of chirped gratings whose time delay is tuned with respect to the emission wavelength of a fiber laser by a piezoelectric actuator; extra lengths of fiber are inserted in the filter arms in order to avoid interferences between signals reflected in different gratings. Two and three taps filters are experimentally demonstrated, the filters transfer function is electronically tuned within the free spectral range.     

Guideline for the design of a fiber optic distributed temperature and strain sensor

Full analysis of a distributed temperature and strain sensor (DTSS), based on stimulated Brillouin amplification effect in an optical fiber, is given. Some new rules, e.g. optimized launch power, have been found and the optimized design guidelines for short and long distance DTSS are presented.     

Research on the temperature characteristics of optical fiber refractive index

The delay of optical signal is determined by the refractive index and length of optical fiber, and temperature would have an intense influence on the index. To establish the relationship between refractive index and temperature, the temperature characteristics of refractive index was analyzed and the thermo-optical coefficient equation was derived according to the polarization of the induced electric dipole moment in SiO₂ optical fiber. A measuring system based on optical fiber delay was carried out to measure the index within the temperature range of −30 °C to 70 °C and the experimental result was compared with the theoretical result. The final result shows that the relationship between refractive index and temperature is linear in the temperature range of discussion.     

Demonstration of fundamental mode only propagation in highly multimode fibre for high power EDFAs

The use of short lengths of large core phosphate glass fibre, doped with high concentrations of Er or Er:Yb represents an attractive route to achieving high power erbium doped fibre amplifiers (EDFAs) and lasers (EDFLs). With the aim of investigating the potential of achieving diffraction limited output from such large core fibres, we present experimental results of fundamental mode propagation through a 20 cm length of passive 300 μm core multimode fibre when the input is a well-aligned Gaussian beam. Through careful control of fibre geometry, input beam parameters and alignment, we measured an output M² of 1.1 ± 0.05. The fibre had a numerical aperture of 0.389, implying a V number of 236.8. To our knowledge, this is the largest core fibre through which diffraction limited fundamental mode propagation has been demonstrated. Although the results presented here relate to undoped fibre, they do provide the practical basis for a new generation of EDFAs and EDFLs.     

Water sensor using macrobending-sensitive fiber for real-time submersion monitoring

A fast reusable water sensor for long-distance real-time submersion monitoring was fabricated using a macrobending-sensitive fiber (MSF). The proposed water sensor consists of floating matter, periodic macrobending deformers, and a MSF. In this structure, the floating matter moves up and down according to the buoyant force of water, thereby controlling the bending loss of the MSF and allowing the proposed sensor to detect submersion. A basic bending experiment was conducted using a MSF and macrobending deformer, and the results used to fabricate an efficient water sensor. In contrast to existing sensors where the optical loss increases in the case of submersion, the optical loss of the fabricated sensor decreases due to the buoyant force when the selected area is submerged. As such, the fabricated sensor is able to transmit submersion information further than sensors that detect submersion by increasing the optical loss, and it is unaffected by environmental factors, such as humidity and pollutants in the water. The proposed sensor detects submersion by monitoring a 16 dB optical power change of 1550 nm, and the change in the optical power of the fabricated sensor is only affected by the buoyant force. In addition, the proposed water sensor quickly returns to its initial state when the water disappears, and the insertion loss when it is connected to a single-mode fiber (SMF) at both ends using a connector is only −1.2 dB at 1550 nm.     

Determination of the optimal wavelength for temperature independent detection of commercial gasoline with a polymer cladding optical fiber

An influence of temperature variations on transmission of a polymer cladding silica core (PCS) optical fiber was investigated in a wide spectral range covering the first (1710 nm) and the second (1170 nm) vibrational overtone bands of gasoline absorption. Thermo-induced changes of the fiber background transmittance have strong dependence on wavelength. A narrow wavelength band around 1214 nm was found to be almost free from the thermal effects while maintaining sufficient sensitivity for gasoline detection.     

Preparation,surface modification and microwave characterization of magnetic iron fibers

In this paper, magnetic iron fibers of 3–10 μm diameter and an adjustable aspect ratio were synthesized successfully by a method involving pyrolysis of carbonyl under a magnetic field. A surface modification technology was also investigated. The electromagnetic parameters of the iron-fiber–wax composites were measured using the transmission/reflection coaxial line method in the microwave frequency range of 2–18 GHz. The results show that the prepared iron-fiber–wax composites exhibit high magnetic loss that can be further improved after phosphating. On the other hand, the complex permittivity was significantly decreased after phosphating. As a result, this kind of iron fiber may be useful for thin and lightweight radar-absorbing materials.     

Design guidelines and characteristics for a kind of four-layer large flattened mode fibers

A theoretical method to analyze a kind of four-layer large flattened mode (LFM) fibers is presented. The properties of the fiber, including the fundamental and higher-order modal fields, effective area and bending loss are discussed by comparison. At the same time, the reasons for the different characteristics are considered. The obtained results indicate that the effective area of the four-layer LFM fiber is about 1.3 times larger than that of the conventional standard step-index fiber and the fiber can suppress the higher-order modes via bending effectively. The four-layer LFM fiber has less efficient bend-induced filtering ability than the conventional step-index fiber; however, it has more efficient filtering ability than the three-layer LFM fiber.     

Investigation of ferromagnetic coupling between Co layers in a Co/Pt multilayer with perpendicular anisotropy

The coercivity of a Co/Pt multilayer with out-of-plane anisotropy can be lowered greatly if it is grown onto an ultrathin NiO underlayer . By making use of this characteristic, a series of samples glass/NiO(10 Å)/[Co(4 Å)/Pt(5 Å)]₃/Pt(x Å)/[Co(4 Å)/Pt(5 Å)]₃ with different Pt spacer thickness have been prepared to determine the ferromagnetic (FM) coupling between Co layers across the Pt layer. The measurements of major and minor hysteresis loops have shown that the FM coupling between the top and bottom Co/Pt multilayers decreases monotonically with the Pt layer thickness and disappears above the Pt layer thickness of 40 Å. This thickness of 40 Å is much larger than that in the literature. In addition to the FM coupling between the top and bottom Co/Pt multilayers across the Pt spacer, there exists a weak biquadratic coupling, which induces the broad transition of the bottom Co/Pt multilayer.     

Generation of millimeter-wave in optical pulse carrier by using an apodized Moiré fiber grating

A novel scheme is proposed to transform a Gaussian pulse to a millimeter-wave frequency modulation pulse by using an apodized Moiré fiber Bragg grating in radio-over-fiber system. The relation between the input and output pulses is analyzed theoretically by Fourier transformation method and the requirements for the proposed fiber grating are presented. An apodized Moiré fiber Bragg grating is designed and its characteristics are studied. It is shown that the proposed device is feasible, and the new scheme is believed to be an effective solution for the generation of millimeter-wave sub-carrier in future radio-over-fiber systems.     

Generalised dispersive phase and its effect on four wave mixing in fibers

A generalised method of calculating the efficiency of four wave mixing products in an optical fiber is presented in this paper. Apart from indicating the insufficiency of the existing theoretical model, this work brings out the importance of calculating the dispersive phase shift more precisely in combination with the nonlinear phase shift to predict the efficiencies of sideband generation. The experimental results for the generation of the first and second order sidebands are analysed. Contrary to expectations, higher powers and longer lengths of fiber do not result in larger number of sidebands. An attempt is made to understand this aspect as well as the experimentally observed fluctuations in the four wave mixing products.     

Measuring chromatic dispersion of optical fiber using time-of-flight and a tunable multi-wavelength semiconductor fiber laser

We have developed a tunable multi-wavelength semiconductor fiber laser (SFL) for chromatic dispersion measurements of optical fiber based on the time-of flight (TOF) or pulse-delay technique. The SFL incorporates a programmable high-birefringence fiber Sagnac loop to select the separation of the lasing wavelengths between 3.2 and 1.6 nm. The SFL emits 5 and 11 wavelengths for separations of 3.2 and 1.6 nm, respectively, all within the C-band and with an output power uniformity within 3.2 dB. Results from TOF measurements are compared with standard phase-shift techniques; the percent differences between the two methods are within ±1.34% for measurements on various lengths of standard single mode fiber.     

Design and fabrication of an intrinsically gain flattened Erbium doped fiber amplifier

We report design and subsequent fabrication of an intrinsically gain flattened Erbium doped fiber amplifier (EDFA) based on a highly asymmetrical and concentric dual-core fiber, inner core of which was only partially doped. Phase-resonant optical coupling between the two cores was so tailored through optimization of its refractive index profile parameters that the longer wavelengths within the C-band experience relatively higher amplification compared to the shorter wavelengths thereby reducing the difference in the well-known tilt in the gains between the shorter and longer wavelength regions. The fabricated EDFA exhibited a median gain ?28 dB (gain excursion below ±2.2 dB within the C-band) when 16 simultaneous standard signal channels were launched by keeping the I/P level for each at −20 dBm/channel. Such EDFAs should be attractive for deployment in metro networks, where economics is a premium, because it would cut down the cost on gain flattening filter head.