Highly-nonlinear Dispersion-shifted Fiber Research Articles

500-nm broadband light generation in highly nonlinear dispersion shifted fiber by soliton laser

A compact and robust broadband light source is desirable for frequency combs, and broadband infrared microscopy. To address these demanding problems, we report the generation of broadband spectroscopy using highly nonlinear dispersion-shifted fiber (HNL-DSF) in an all-fiber system without any free-space optics instruments. However, due to the damage to the glass material by a large number of photons at high power, the ability of the fiber to widen will weaken over time. Therefore, the seed pulse used in this paper is the traditional soliton mode-locked pulse, which has lower energy than other types of mode-locked pulse. After two-stage amplification, the peak power, pulse width, and pulse energy of the soliton pulse are about 2 kW, 10 ps, and 18.79 nJ respectively. Amplifying the power of a low-energy pulse to pump the dispersion-shifted fiber, the ultra-wideband spectrum of more than 500 nm can be obtained without damaging the fiber, which is an efficient method to generate a wide spectrum. This method can be potentially used in astronomy, industry, medicine, etc.

Raman soliton at 2 μm in picosecond pumped supercontinuum by a weak CW trigger.

Injecting a weak narrow-linewidth CW trigger to control the picosecond pulse pumped supercontinuum (SC) generation in a highly nonlinear dispersion shifted fiber (HNL-DSF), the Raman soliton at 2 μm is experimentally observed. We demonstrate that the cascaded four-wave mixing (FWM) caused by the weak CW trigger accelerates soliton fission and collision, and the large red-shift by the Raman effect in fibers induces obvious Raman soliton occurring in the long wavelength range of SC. A reduced effect on spectral modification on the SC spectrum at higher pump powers is also observed in the experiment. Simulations of the spectral evolution and spectrogram are carried out to verify the experimental observation. Both experiment and simulation results show the SC characteristics in the mid-infrared region can be greatly improved by the triggering effect.

Numerical Simulation of Highly-Nonlinear Dispersion-Shifted Fiber Optical Parametric Gain Spectrum with Fiber Loss and Higher-Order Dispersion Coefficients

The previous study investigated the fiber parameters on the analytical one-pump fiber optical parametric amplifier (FOPA) gain spectrum of a loss-free highly-nonlinear dispersion-shifted fiber (HNL-DSF) and got the optimum results for each parameter. However, the FOPA gain of the combination of all the optimum values of the considered parameters was not reported. Hence, this paper intends to investigate the analytical FOPA gain of the combination of all the optimum values of the considered parameters from the previous study. Later, the analytical gain was compared with the numerical gain from the fourth-order Runge-Kutta (RK4) method and Matlab built-in function, ode45. Next, the effect of fiber loss and higher order dispersion coefficients such as fourth and sixth-order dispersion coefficients were studied. It is found that RK4 gives a smaller error and the gain reduces while the bandwidth remains same in presence of fiber loss. The fourth-order dispersion coefficient broadens the bandwidth a bit while maintaining the gain and there are two narrow-band gains generated to the left and right-side of the broad-band gain. The sixth-order dispersion coefficient just shifts the two narrow-band gains toward or away from the broadband gain depending on the positive or negative signs of the sixth-order dispersion coefficient.

Numerical Simulation of Highly-Nonlinear Dispersion-Shifted Fiber Optical Parametric Gain Spectrum with Fiber Loss and Higher-Order Dispersion Coefficients

Numerical Simulation of Highly-Nonlinear Dispersion-Shifted Fiber Optical Parametric Gain Spectrum with Fiber Loss and Higher-Order Dispersion Coefficients

40-GHz $S$-and $L$-Band Dual-Wavelength Pulse Source Using Fiber Optical Parametric Oscillator

We demonstrate a 40-GHz dual-wavelength pulse source in S-and L-band on the basis of harmonically mode-locked fiber optical parametric oscillator. Through leveraging, a 150-m highly-nonlinear dispersion-shifted fiber with a positive β(4), good quality, and low timing jitter pulse trains in both S- and L-band can be generated simultaneously. Its tuning range is as wide as 71 nm, from 1507 to 1542 nm and from 1570 to 1606 nm, with a wavelength span of ~100 nm. The proposed scheme has the potential to become an efficient high repetition rate pulse source for optical communication beyond conventional wavelength band.

Flexibly switchable multi-wavelength fiber optical parametric oscillator based on a Lyot-Sagnac filter

We experimentally demonstrate a flexibly switchable multi-wavelength fiber optical parametric oscillator (MW-FOPO) by employing a highly nonlinear dispersion-shifted fiber (HNL-DSF) as the gain medium and a Lyot-Sagnac fiber ring as the comb filter. The wavelength spacing and the number of channels in the switchable MW-FOPO are adjustable by controlling the effective length of polarization maintaining fiber (PMF) segments in the intracavity Lyot-Sagnac filter. We achieve 36 lasing channels with 0.5 nm-spacing and 22 lasing channels with 0.8 nm-spacing in a wavelength range from 1541 to 1559 nm at room temperature. A comparison of the output spectra between the dual-pump MW-FOPO and single-pump MW-FOPO is presented as well.

Double-pumped multiwavelength fiber optical parametric oscillator based on a Sagnac loop filter

We propose a double-pumped ring cavity multiwavelength fiber optical parametric oscillator (MW-FOPO) using a highly nonlinear dispersion-shifted fiber (HNL-DSF) as the gain medium and a polarization maintained fiber based Sagnac loop filter as the comblike filter. 22-wavelength lasing of the double-pumped MW-FOPO with a ripple less than ±2.5 dB and a wavelength spacing of about 0.8 nm in a wavelength range from 1541 nm to 1558 nm is experimentally demonstrated. We discussed the power stability of the multiwavelength lasing of the double-pumped MW-FOPO. A comparison of the output spectra between the double-pumped MW-FOPO and single-pumped MW-FOPO is also presented.

Photonic Ultrawideband Pulse Generation With HNL-DSF-Based Phase and Intensity Modulator

We propose and experimentally demonstrate a photonic ultrawideband (UWB) pulse (monocycle and doublet) generator based on a highly nonlinear dispersion-shifted fiber (HNL-DSF). The pulsed pump, located in the anomalous group-velocity dispersion regime of the HNL-DSF, performs as both an intensity and a phase modulator in our scheme. We experimentally prove, for the first time to the best of our knowledge, that the UWB doublet pulse can be generated when the optical carrier is located at the center of a narrow tunable filter's passband. Furthermore, the encoded doublet signal, fully compliant with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) regulations, is transmitted at 950 Mb/s through a 25-km single-mode fiber without introducing any obvious pulse distortion.

Continuously wavelength-spacing-tunable and idler-output multiwavelength fiber optical parametric oscillator

We demonstrate a continuously wavelength-spacing-tunable and high-power multiwavelength fiber optical parametric oscillator based on the multiwavelength idler-output technique. The laser cavity for multiwavelength idler outputs is constructed by a pumped highly-nonlinear dispersion-shifted fiber as parametric gain medium, two highly-reflective chirped fiber Bragg gratings (CFBGs) and a superimposed CFBG as comb-like filter. At a pump power of 1.1 W, the idler output of 10 wavelengths around 1.56 μm is achieved with a wavelength spacing of 0.39 nm. The wavelength spacing can be continuously tuned from 0.39 to 1.0 nm by utilizing a cantilever beam-based chirp tuning method to change the FSR of the superimposed CFBG. Our experimental results show that the designed multiwavelength idler-output scheme can significantly increase the multiwavelength output power with a total output power of 98 mW and each idler-channel power of 16.3 mW.

A Novel Return-to-Zero FSK Format for 40-Gb/s Transmission System Applications

In this paper, we present the generation, the detection and the performance evaluation of a novel return-to-zero frequency shift keying (RZ-FSK) format for 40 Gb/s transmission. Non-return-to-zero (NRZ) FSK signal is generated by using two continues-wave (CW) lasers, one Mach-Zehnder modulator (MZM) and one Mach-Zehnder delay interferometer (MZDI). A RZ-FSK signal is successfully generated by cascading a dual-arm MZM, which is driven by a sinusoidal voltage at half of the bit rate. The demodulation can be simply achieved on 1 bit rate through one MZDI or an array waveguide grating (AWG) demultiplexer with balanced detection. By numerical simulation, two types of frequency modulation schemes using MZM or PM, and impact of the frequency tone spacing (FTS) of the generated FSK signal are discussed. The proposed scheme shows that the novel frequency modulation format offers a few transmission advantages comparing with than that of the other traditional modulation formats, such as RZ and differential phase-shift keying (DPSK), under varying dispersion management. The performance analysis of RZ-FSK signal in a 4 × 40 Gb/s WDM transmission system is introduced. We experimentally demonstrate, transparent wavelength conversion based on four-wave mixing (FWM) in a semiconductor optical amplifier (SOA) and in a highly nonlinear dispersion shifted fiber (HNDSF) for a 40 Gb/s RZ-FSK signal, clearly validating the feasibility of all optical signal processing of high-speed RZ-FSK signal. Moreover, we investigate the receiver power penalty for the RZ-FSK signal after a 100 km standard single-mode fiber (SMF) transmission link with matching dispersion compensating fiber (DCF), under the post-compensation management scheme. Since the frequency modulation format is orthogonal to intensity modulation and vector modulation (polarization shift keying), it can be employed in the context of the combined modulation format to decrease the data rate or enhance the symbol rate. It can also be utilized in the orthogonal label-switching as the modulation format for the payload or the label.

WAVELENGTH CONVERSION OF MULTICHANNEL SPECTRUM-SLICED ASE SIGNALS VIA FOUR-WAVE MIXING IN HIGHLY NONLINEAR DISPERSION-SHIFTED FIBER

Simultaneous wavelength conversion of multiple spectrum-sliced amplified spontaneous emission channels is achieved experimentally via four-wave mixing (FWM) in highly-nonlinear dispersion-shifted fiber. A theoretical model for FWM between coherent pump and incoherent signals is built based on FWM theory of coherent light. The theoretical result agrees well with the experimental result.

WALK-OFF LENGTH LIMITED SPECTRAL BROADENING IN SUPERCONTINUUM GENERATION

Detailed spectrum broadening mechanisms in supercontinuum (SC) generation are studied with an all-fiber pulsed laser source and a highly nonlinear dispersion-shifted fiber (HN-DSF). Mode-locked fiber laser pulses are stretched to four different pulse widths, and SC spectra are measured with different propagation distances with these pulses. By observing the development of spectral width with distance, we have observed that self-phase modulation (SPM) rather than soliton fission is the dominant process at the beginning of SC generation in our case. We have also confirmed that four-wave mixing (FWM) and its walk-off problem associated with different spectral components are the major limiting factors in efficient wide-band SC generation.

Fiber-optic parametric amplifier and oscillator based on intracavity parametric pump technique

A cost-effective fiber optical parametric amplifier (FOPA) based on the laser intracavity pump technique has been proposed and demonstrated experimentally. The parametric process is realized by inserting a 1 km highly nonlinear dispersion-shifted fiber (HNL-DSF) into a fiber ring-laser cavity that consists of a high-power erbium-doped fiber (EDF) amplifier and two highly reflective fiber Bragg gratings. Compared with the conventional parametric pump schemes, the proposed pumping technique is free from a tunable semiconductor laser as the pump source and also the pump phase modulation. When the oscillating power of 530 mW in the EDF laser cavity is achieved to pump the HNL-DSF, a peak parametric gain of 27.5 dB and a net gain over 45 nm are obtained. Moreover, a widely tunable fiber-optic parametric oscillator is further developed using the FOPA as a gain medium.

Injection locked multi-section gain-coupled dual mode DFB laser for terahertz generation

A dual mode multi-section gain-coupled distributed feedback laser with tunable mode spacing is subharmonically injection locked at 0.315 THz. The injected signal consists of an optical comb with harmonics 35 GHz apart and a bandwidth of approximately 1.9 THz. The optical comb is a result of strong four-wave mixing in a highly-nonlinear dispersion-shifted fiber. In order to observe locking of the multi-section laser, the output is optically downconverted to RF frequencies using the same optical comb. The locked multi-section DFB laser is a coherent and tunable optical source suitable for continuous-wave terahertz generation systems.

Cross-phase modulation bandwidth in ultrafast fiber wavelength converters

We propose a novel analytical model for the characterization of fiber cross-phase modulation (XPM) in ultrafast all-optical fiber wavelength converters, operating at modulation frequencies higher than 1 THz. The model is used to compare the XPM frequency limitations of a conventional and a highly nonlinear dispersion shifted fiber (HN-DSF) and a bismuth oxide-based fiber, introducing the XPM bandwidth as a design parameter. It is shown that the HN-DSF presents the highest XPM bandwidth, above 1 THz, making it the most appropriate for ultrafast wavelength conversion.

Experimental investigation of continuous-wave supercontinuum ring laser composed of clad-pumped Er/Yb codoped fiber and highly-nonlinear optical fiber

We experimentally demonstrate a practical benefit of our proposed continuous-wave (CW) supercontinuum (SC) generating ring laser scheme in terms of low-cost device implementation and then investigate its output intensity noise property, as a further study to our previous paper of Ref. [J.H. Lee, Y. Takushima, K. Kikuchi, Opt. Lett. 30 (2005) 2599]. First, we implement a practical and low-cost CW SC laser using a double clad Er/Yb codoped fiber and a highly nonlinear dispersion-shifted fiber (HNL-DSF). Unlike the scheme in Ref. [J.H. Lee, Y. Takushima, K. Kikuchi, Opt. Lett. 30 (2005) 2599] the gain medium of an Er/Yb fiber is clad-pumped by low quality multimode pump LDs to underline the fact that our proposed scheme does not require any high power single-mode laser pump. A SC of a bandwidth larger than 470nm is readily achieved. Next, we measure relative-intensity-noise (RIN) of the generated SC and compare it with that of a pumped Er/Yb fiber ASE. The SC laser is found to have a much higher RIN than the ASE due to the nonlinear amplification of quantum fluctuations both in the seed light oscillation and in the Raman scattering process.

Continuous-wave supercontinuum laser based on an erbium-doped fiber ring cavity incorporating a highly nonlinear optical fiber

We experimentally demonstrate a novel erbium-doped fiber based continuous-wave (cw) supercontinuum laser. The laser has a simple ring-cavity structure incorporating an erbium-doped fiber and a highly nonlinear dispersion-shifted fiber (HNL-DSF). Differently from previously demonstrated cw supercontinuum sources based on single propagation of a strong Raman pump laser beam through a highly nonlinear fiber, erbium gain inside the cavity generates a seed light oscillation, and the oscillated light subsequently evolves into a supercontinuum by nonlinear effects such as modulation instability and stimulated Raman scattering in the HNL-DSF. High quality of the depolarized supercontinuum laser output with a spectral bandwidth larger than 250 nm is readily achieved.

Experimental performance comparison for various continuous-wave supercontinuum schemes: ring cavity and single pass structures

We experimentally perform a comparative study on performance of three different schemes for generation of continuous-wave (CW) supercontinuum by use of nonlinear optical fiber, i.e. our proposed erbium-doped fiber (EDF)-based ring laser scheme incorporating a highly-nonlinear dispersion-shifted fiber (HNL-DSF), the Raman gain-based ring laser scheme incorporating an HNL-DSF, and the conventional scheme based on pump beam single propagation through an HNL-DSF. The three schemes show different physical mechanisms of supercontinuum evolution from a CW pump beam. In particular, our proposed EDF-based ring laser configuration is found to have a better relative intensity noise performance than the other two schemes.

Supercontinuum growth in a highly nonlinear fiber with a low-coherence semiconductor laser diode

A low-coherence, amplified, cw semiconductor laser diode is used as a pump to demonstrate supercontinuum (SC) generation in a highly nonlinear, dispersion-shifted fiber (HNLF). At a launch power of 1.6W into the anomalous-dispersion regime of 5km of HNLF, a SC extending from 1230nm to greater than 1770nm is achieved. The SC grows through the seeding effect of modulation instability that also converts the cw beam into short pulses so that subsequent spectral broadening becomes similar to pumping with pulsed laser sources. The experimental data show the manifestation of soliton self-frequency shift associated with a Stokes band as the launch power is increased. Amplification of the continuum noise with respect to the cw pump is also reported.

High power, single mode, all-fiber source of femtosecond pulses at 1550 nm and its use in supercontinuum generation

We present a source of high power femtosecond pulses at 1550 nm with compressed pulses at the end of a single mode fiber (SMF) pigtail. The system generates 34 femtosecond pulses at a repetition rate of 46 MHz, with average powers greater than 400 mW. The pulses are generated in a passively modelocked, erbium-doped fiber laser, and amplified in a short, erbium-doped fiber amplifier. The output of the fiber amplifier consists of highly chirped picosecond pulses. These picosecond pulses are then compressed in standard single mode fiber. While the compressed pulses in the SMF pigtail do show a low pedestal that could be avoided with the use of bulk-optic compression, the desire to compress the pulses in SMF is motivated by the ability to splice the single mode fiber to a nonlinear fiber, for continuum generation applications. We demonstrate that with highly nonlinear dispersion shifted fiber (HNLF) fusion spliced directly to the amplifier output, we generate a supercontinuum spectrum that spans more than an octave, with an average power 400 mW. Such a high power, all-fiber supercontinuum source has many important applications including frequency metrology and bio-medical imaging.