One stage pulse compression at 1554nm through highly anomalous dispersive photonic crystal fiber

Maggie Yihong Chen,Ray T Chen,Harish Subbaraman

doi:10.1364/oe.19.021809

Abstract

We demonstrate the pulse compression at 1554 nm using one stage of highly anomalous dispersive photonic crystal fibers with a dispersion value of 600 ps/nm∙km. A 1.64 ps pulse is compressed down to 0.357 ps with a compression factor of 4.6, which agrees reasonably well with the simulation value of 6.1. The compressor is better suited for high energy ultra-short pulse compression than conventional low dispersive single mode fibers.

Highlights

Over the past two decades, much effort has been made in generating ultrashort pulses through higher-order soliton compression [1] after the first observation of this phenomenon by Mollenauer et al in 1980 [2]
We present a single-stage compression with highly anomalous dispersive photonic crystal fiber (PCF)
A 1.64 ps pulse generated by mode-locking fiber laser centered at 1554 nm is compressed down to a 0.357 ps pulse, through a one-stage 1.7 m highly dispersive PCF compressor

Summary

Introduction

Over the past two decades, much effort has been made in generating ultrashort pulses through higher-order soliton compression [1] after the first observation of this phenomenon by Mollenauer et al in 1980 [2]. To maintain the same number of solitons for higher energy level pulse, we need to design and fabricate new optical fibers or waveguides with reasonable nonlinearities and adequate dispersion values. We present a single-stage compression with highly anomalous dispersive photonic crystal fiber (PCF). For a given input pulse width, if the dispersion of the photonic crystal fiber is 60 times larger, to support same order of soliton, the peak power of input pulse are 60 times those supported by conventional low dispersive single mode fibers. Due to strong refractive index asymmetry between the two cores, there is a rapid change in the slope of the wavelength variation of the fundamental mode index This leads to a large dispersion around 1550 nm.

Simulation of pulse propagation

Experimental results of pulse compression

Summary