All-optical limiting using nonlinear directional couplers composed of a self-focusing and a self-defocusing waveguide

We numerically demonstrate the all-optical limiting features in a mismatched nonlinear directional coupler (NLDC) composed of a self-focusing and a self-defocusing waveguide for both continuous wave and pulse cases. The working conditions required are analyzed. To obtain the limiting feature, the propagation constant of the self-focusing waveguide should not be larger than that of the self-defocusing waveguide. Cascaded asymmetric NLDCs are investigated to improve the limiting characteristics. The limiting threshold and the limiting output power can be adjusted by varying the coupler length or the ratio of the nonlinearity coefficients of the self-defocusing and self-focusing waveguides. Analytical solutions are presented in the case of a continuous wave. For the pulse case, numerical solutions show that the top part of the output pulse, if it exceeds the limiting threshold, will be tailored, while the rising and falling edges of the output pulse are almost the same as the input pulse. There is almost no pulse breakup. The influence of the second order dispersion and the intermodal dispersion on the limiting characteristics are analyzed. PACS 42.79.Gn; 42.79.Ta     

Numerical simulation of solitons switching and propagating in asymmetric directional couplers

A numerical investigation, based on the use of split step Fourier transformation algorithm, of all-optical solitons switching in asymmetric directional couplers is presented. The numerical algorithm is described in details. The analysis highlights the influence of the different effective mode area, the phase- and group–velocity mismatch, the different dispersion between two cores on the switching and propagation of short pulses. The investigation indicates that the phase velocity mismatch and the different effective mode area can reduce the coupling length while the different group velocity and the different dispersion between two cores do not change the coupling length. We have also found that the increase of effective mode area ratio can lead to an increase of the switching threshold power but improve significantly the switching steepness, the increase of the phase velocity mismatch can cause a decrease of the switching threshold power but degrade the switching steepness, the increase of the ratio of dispersion can result in a decrease of the switching threshold power and vary the switching steepness, the increase of group velocity mismatch can give rise to an increase of the switching threshold power but improve obviously the switching steepness. Furthermore, the group velocity mismatch can induce solitons pulse to walk off or stretch in the asymmetric directional coupler.     

Compact NRD-Guide Switch by Using Schottky Barrier Diodes

Based on a miniaturized NRD-guide coupling structure, a new switch circuit is proposed. The 3dB coupler and two schottky barrier diodes with improved diode mounts and matching circuits are used. It features with wideband performance and compact size. The high isolation performance can also be realized using the same circuit by adjusting the bias currents of the diodes. An experimental prototype is implemented and the tested characteristics are supplied.     

Threshold analysis of fiber-coupler-combined fiber lasers

Threshold conditions of coherently combined fiber lasers, joint by fiber couplers (FCs), have been studied. After considering the phase change of a light wave crossing the fiber inside the FC, it has been shown that, at the two input ports of the coupler connecting with the amplifying fibers, the phase difference between the two incoming fields should be equal to −π/2 if the threshold gain of the compound system is to be minimized. Starting from these input ports, following the circulations of waves, threshold conditions can be established. Expressions for the output and leakage powers, and optimum coupler splitting ratio nullifying the leakage when constituent fiber lasers giving different free-running powers have been derived. And, the threshold gain reductions of individual lasers after being coherently combined have been predicted.     

Dark soliton switching in an NLDC in the presence of higher-order perturbative effects

Dark soliton switching in a nonlinear directional coupler in the presence of intermodal dispersion, cross-phase modulation (CPM), third-order dispersion, Raman effect, and self-steepening effect is reported for the first time. It is shown that, with the exception of CPM, all of the other perturbative effects have almost no effect on the switching characteristics of the dark soliton switch, which is an improvement over the corresponding bright soliton switch. Although the CPM increases the critical power of dark soliton switching, the soliton pulse remains stable inside the coupler during its propagation.     

Linear cavity Brillouin fiber laser with improved characteristics

A configuration for linear cavity Brillouin fiber laser (BFL) generation is demonstrated using a standard single-mode fiber, two optical circulators, a 3 dB coupler, and a 95/5 coupler to allow high efficiency. With a Brillouin pump (BP) power of 13 dBm, the laser peak power is 12.3 dB higher than a conventional linear cavity BFL at an upshifted wavelength of 0.086 nm from the BP wavelength. In addition, it is revealed that the BFL peak power can be higher than the transmitted BP peak power when the BP power exceeds the second Brillouin Stokes threshold power.     

Nonreciprocal behavior and switching in optical couplers with longitudinally varying coupling coefficient

We report the nonreciprocal behavior of an optical coupler consisting of two straight waveguides forming a small angle. An optical diode action is theoretically demonstrated when light is launched along opposite directions. The switching power is lower than the case of parallel waveguides with a constant coupling coefficient.     

Vector soliton switching in a fiber nonlinear directional coupler

This paper reports a detailed numerical study of soliton switching in a high as well as low birefringent nonlinear coupler. It is shown that by controlling the polarization angle one can have nearly 100% transmission with excellent switching characteristics. It is shown that soliton remains stable during its propagation inside the coupler. However it is observed that high birefringent coupler exhibits relatively better soliton stability. We show that the coupler could be used as a soliton switch even at an input peak power less than the critical power, the power at which 50-50 power sharing takes place between the two cores, just by a judicious choice of the polarization angle.     

Experimental demonstration of novel end-pumping method for double-clad fiber devices

We present experimental demonstration of an end-pumping scheme based on splicing the multimode pump and single-mode signal fibers directly to a double-clad fiber with a tailored cross section. The method is used to pump a double-clad, erbium- and ytterbium-doped, fiber ring laser. The efficiency of the end-pumping method is tested by determining the slope efficiencies of the fiber ring laser and the fiber laser in a Fabry-Perot configuration. Comparable slope efficiencies are found when both laser configurations have similar output coupler ratios. The developed pumping scheme and double-clad fiber can find applications in cost-effective power fiber amplifiers and lasers.     

具有高阶耦合色散系数三芯光纤耦合器非线性光开关特性的研究

利用两种方法研究了高速光脉冲在具有交叉相位调制的等边三角形排列结构的非线性三芯光纤耦合器中传输和开关特性.首先利用变分原理得到三纤芯中传输转移系数随距离变化的方程,然后利用分裂步长傅里叶方法求得了光脉冲的数值解.变分法和数值模拟的结果表明：当一阶模间色散系数较小时,光脉冲仍能在三芯之间周期性耦合传输,并且表现出良好的开关特性,但是随着一阶模间色散系数的增大,脉冲耦合传输的周期性和陡峭的开关特性都遭到破坏,光脉冲在传输中发生分裂;二阶耦合色散系数和初始啁啾都能使光脉冲传输时的耦合长度变短、光脉冲在三纤芯之间 关键词： 三芯光纤耦合器 模间色散系数 耦合长度 开关阈值功率     

含负折射介质的反向定向耦合器的时空不稳定性研究

研究含负折射介质的不对称反向定向耦合器中的时空调制不稳定性(MI),探讨了输入功率、前向波和后向波功率比和通道间的耦合系数等对时空MI的影响。结果表明:在这种新型耦合器中只有当横向波数超过一定阈值时才会产生MI,增加输入功率或减少前向波和后向波的功率比都会扩大MI增益谱的范围并最终使MI区域重合,而降低耦合器通道间的耦合系数可减少MI的增益峰值但拓宽增益谱的范围。负折射介质的电磁参数可调谐特性为实现MI的主动调控和孤子的形成提供了新的方法和手段。     

一种改进的2×2 SOI Mach-Zehnder热光开关

本文设计并制作了基于强限制多模干涉耦合器的2×2 SOI马赫-曾德热光开关.这种光开关采用了深刻蚀结构的多模干涉耦合器和输入/输出波导,较大地提高了干涉耦合器的性能并减少了连接耦合损耗.同时,在调制臂区域采用浅刻蚀结构,保持其单模调制状态.深刻蚀多模干涉耦合器具有优越的特性,在实验中测得不均衡度只有0.03 dB,插入损耗－0.6 dB.基于这种耦合器的新型热光开关,其插入损耗为－6.8 dB,其中包括光纤-波导耦合损耗－4.3 dB,开关时间为6.8 μs.     

Logic Gates Based in Asymmetric Couplers: Numerical Analysis

Abstract

In this work, we present a numerical investigation of the transmission and switching of fundamental solitons in asymmetric nonlinear directional couplers, constructed with dispersion decreasing fibers (DDF). In this configuration, the coupler consists of two separated parallel fibers, one with a DDF profile and the other with a constant profile. We obtained the characteristics of transmission, extinction ratio, and compression factor of the device.

The truth tables for the logic gates AND, OR, and XOR were obtained. We concluded that the device presenting a constant profile provided the best performance of the studied logic gates. Logic gates AND, OR, and XOR operating with extinction coefficient around 16.6 dB were obtained.     

掺铒光纤非线性耦合器的实验研究

提出一种耦合参量可用光调控的掺铒光纤非线性耦合器.用熔融拉锥法熔合两根掺铒光纤,拉制成工作波长为155nm的3dB掺铒光纤耦合器.通过调变输入耦合器一臂的980nm泵浦光功率,可以改变两臂的传播常量差,从而改变耦合器两臂信号光的相对输出功率.通过测量输入泵浦光功率和两臂信号光输出功率,得到直通臂耦合比依赖于泵浦光功率的实验曲线.实验研究表明,当泵浦光功率从0 mW变化至20 mW时,耦合比的变化可达到40％.与理论模拟的结果一致.     

Assessment of Fiber Chromatic Dispersion Based on Elimination of Second-Order Harmonics in Optical OFDM Single Sideband Modulation Using Mach Zehnder Modulator

This work addresses the analytical and numerical investigations of the transmission performance of an optical Single Sideband (SSB) modulation technique generated by a Mach Zehnder Modulator (MZM) with a 90° and 120° hybrid coupler. It takes into account the problem of chromatic dispersion in single mode fibers in Passive Optical Networks (PON), which severely degrades the performance of the system. Considering the transmission length of the fiber, the SSB modulation generated by maintaining a phase shift of π/2 between the two electrodes of the MZM provides better receiver sensitivity. However, the power of higher-order harmonics generated due to the nonlinearity of the MZM is directly proportional to the modulation index, making the SSB look like a quasi-double sideband (DSB) and causing power fading due to chromatic dispersion. To eliminate one of the second-order harmonics, the SSB signal based on an MZM with a 120° hybrid coupler is simulated. An analytical model of conventional SSB using 90° and 120° hybrid couplers is established. The latter suppresses unwanted (upper/lower) first-order and second-order (lower/upper) sidebands. For the analysis, a varying quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM) Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) signal with a data rate of 5 Gb/s is upconverted using both of the SSB techniques and is transmitted over a distance of 75 km in Single Mode Fiber (SMF). The simulation results show that the SSB with 120° hybrid coupler proves to be more immune to chromatic dispersion as compared to the conventional SSB technique. This is in tandem with the theoretical analysis presented in the article.     

Improvement of four-wave mixing-based wavelength conversion efficiency in dispersion shifted fiber by 40-GHz clock pumping

40-GHz clock modulated signal as a pump to improve the efficiency of four-wave mixing (FWM)-based wavelength conversion in a 26.5-km dispersion shifted fiber (DSF) is investigated. The experimental results demonstrate that the conjugated FWM component has higher intensity with the clock pumping than that with the continuous-wave (CW) light pumping. The improvement of FWM-based wavelength conversion efficiency is negligible when the pump power is less than Brillouin threshold. But when the pump power is greater than Brillouin threshold, the improvement becomes significant and increases with the increment of pump power. The improvement can increase up to 9 dB if pump power reaches 17 dBm.     

Acrylic-based asymmetric and variable coupling ratio Y-branch plastic optical fiber coupler

Acrylic-based asymmetric and variable couplers have been developed using a single structured Y-branch design with a high-index-contrast waveguide taper and a void structure for fiber attenuation using the lateral displacement of two fibers. Device fabrication is performed by producing the device structure on an acrylic block using a computer numerical control (CNC) machine tool. The fabricated device has an excess loss of 5.85 dB, while the coupling ratios are 56.86 and 43.14% when the device is operated as a 3 dB coupler. In the asymmetric coupler mode, the coupling ratio ranges from 44.84 to 8.01% for port 1 and 55.16 to 91.99% for port 2. The excess loss of this device varies from 5.42 to 7.64 dB. In the variable coupler mode, the coupling ratio ranges from 10.09 to 32.88% for port 1 and from 89.91 to 67.12% for port 2. The excess loss of the device varies from 5.85 to 8.49 dB.     

Superprism properties in 2D polymer photonic crystals at high normal frequencies

The superprism effects of higher bands, i.e., for normal frequencies of higher than one, in two-dimensional (2D) polymer photonic crystals (PCs) are investigated. It is shown that in a polymer PC of triangular symmetry with filling factor of about 31%, the gradual transition of the hexagonal into triangular equi-frequency dispersion contours leads to a strong superprism in the 6th band at a normal frequency of 1.2. This dispersion is more prominent than those observed in the lower bands in 2D PCs. Also, this requires a lattice constant longer than the concerned wavelength. Furthermore, in a 2D polymer PC with a filling factor of about 83% a strong discontinuous superprism effect occurs at normal frequencies higher than one, which is due to an abrupt transition between two modes with the refraction angles of opposite signs. The effect can be exploited for switching applications as demonstrated in the paper.     

皮秒脉冲在色散缓变光纤中的孤子效应压缩

本文给出了描述皮秒脉冲在色散缓变单模光纤中孤子效应压缩过程的数学模型。通过数值求解，首次对该孤子效应压缩进行了全面的计算和分析。结果表明，与常规光纤相比，采用色散缓变程度合适的光纤压缩皮秒脉冲，不仅能显著地提高压缩后脉冲的峰值功率和脉冲压缩比，而且能有效地消除压缩后脉冲的次峰和脉座。对于确定的脉冲输入，发现，当光纤的色散缓变程度取某一最佳值时，能获得最佳的压缩效果。进一步研究表明，色散的这一最佳变     

正三角型三芯光纤中等腰对称平面波的调制不稳定性分析

详细分析了正三角型三芯光纤中等腰对称平面波的调制不稳定性.等腰对称平面波即两芯中场完全相同,第三芯中场入射功率与其他两芯中不同的平面波,其存在的前提是入射光总功率(P)必须大于某最小值(P_(min)),该最小值取决于光纤的线性耦合系数和非线性系数.对一给定的总功率P≥P_(min),令一芯中的入射功率为P_1,其他两芯中入射功率均为P_2,有两种形式的场分布:一种是P_1始终大于P_2,随着P的增加,P_1越来越大,P_2越来越小,依线性稳定性分析方法,该场分布对应的增益谱主要特征与双芯光纤非对称平面波的增益谱相似;另一种是随着P的增加,P_1越来越小,P_2越来越大,使用同样的分析方法,发现该场分布下增益谱与双芯光纤非对称平面波增益谱截然不同,其显著特征是无扰动下,在正常和反常色散区域均可产生不稳定性增益,且在正常色散区域,零扰动频率对应的增益最强;另一方面,耦合系数色散对增益谱的影响在正常和反常色散区域都非常弱,这与其在双芯光纤中的影响截然不同.该结果对基于多芯光纤的模分复用系统非线性效应的研究具有一定的指导意义.