Polarization-insensitive all-optical wavelength converter based on four-wave mixing in a highly nonlinear photonic crystal fiber using a dual-pump configuration

Abstract

A basic scheme of the polarization insensitive four-wave-mixing all-optical wavelength conversion with a copolarization dual-pump configuration in a highly nonlinear photonic crystal fiber (PCF) is demonstrated. With two fiber Bragg Gratings and a Faraday rotator mirror, both the pumps and the signal make a dual pass through a highly nonlinear PCF. The rotation of the signal polarization by the Faraday rotator mirror guarantees that both orthogonal polarization components of the signal will efficiently mix with the two pumps to produce a polarization-insensitive multi-wavelength conversion. The design and simulation of the bismuth oxide-based PCF indicate that the desired dispersion properties can be tailored by the geometrical parameters of PCF microstructure. The propagation loss at 1550nm is about 0.8dB/m. The nonlinear coefficient is expected to be 1100W^-1km^-1 by using bismuth oxide-based glass and reducing the effective core area. The mode-field diameter of PCF is estimated to be 1.98μm and the predicted effective core area is 3.3μm². The polarization insensitive four-wave-mixing wavelength converter with copolarization dual-pump configuration shows the small polarization sensitivity, the high conversion efficiency and the simultaneous multi-wavelength conversion.