Optical pulse shaping at moderate power using a twisted-fibre NOLM with single output polarisation selection

We demonstrate theoretically and experimentally that efficient signal shaping operation can be obtained at moderate power by using the transmission characteristic of a power-symmetric nonlinear optical loop mirror (NOLM) including highly twisted fibre and operating through nonlinear polarisation rotation, when the circular polarisation state orthogonal to the input polarisation is selected at the NOLM output. By adjusting the angle of the quarter-wave retarder inserted in the loop, the phase bias of the transfer characteristic can be adjusted precisely to enable proper signal shaping for moderate values of input power, remaining well below switching power. The tolerance of the procedure to deviations of the input polarisation from the ideal circular case is investigated numerically. We demonstrate experimentally the capabilities of this setup for both power equalisation and extinction ratio enhancement. Finally, we show that this setup is also useful to shape ultrashort optical pulses from the relaxation oscillations of a DFB semiconductor laser. In comparison with other NOLM-based techniques, the proposed approach allows to reduce by a factor of 8-10 the peak power required for pulse shaping, for the same fibre length and Kerr coefficient.     

Large amplitude noise reduction in ultrashort pulse trains using a power-symmetric nonlinear optical loop mirror

We analyse numerically the capabilities of a power-symmetric nonlinear optical loop mirror (NOLM) in the ultrashort pulse regime for high-quality amplitude regeneration of an optical signal. The device, which operates through nonlinear polarisation rotation, includes twisted, anomalous-dispersion fibre and a quarter-wave retarder. For particular adjustments of the retarder orientation, and a circularly polarised input beam, the output energy characteristic flattens near the switching energy, a property that can be used to eliminate large amplitude fluctuations in an optical signal. The group velocity mismatch between polarisation components introduced by twist is mitigated by the interplay between anomalous dispersion and the nonlinear Kerr effect, although strong twist should be avoided as it still introduces substantial pulse distortion. Contrary to other designs, where a plateau characteristic requires a large power imbalance between the counter-propagating beams, both pulses in the present scheme can be simultaneously close to fundamental solitons, which allows a substantial widening of the plateau for particular pulse parameters. Good quality, nearly transform-limited pulses are obtained in this case at the NOLM output. The device is applicable for the regeneration of ultrafast data streams in which the signal-to-noise ratio is severely deteriorated.     

Experimental investigation of a passively mode-locked fiber laser based on a symmetrical NOLM with a highly twisted low-birefringence fiber

We experimentally investigate the passive mode-locking operation of a figure eight-fiber laser based on a symmetrical nonlinear optical loop mirror (NOLM) with a highly twisted low-birefringence fiber in the loop. NOLM switching is achieved by the polarization asymmetry between the counterpropagating beams in the loop. The most efficient switching is obtained when we have linear polarization for one of the beams and the circular polarization for the other. We used a quarter-wave retarder (QWR) in the NOLM loop to break the polarization symmetry. Through the QWR position, it is possible to adjust the transmission behavior from a maximum to a minimum at a low input power. With our configuration, it is possible to get self-starting mode-locking operation at a specific position of the QWR. This QWR position corresponds to a value close to the minimal transmission. The pulse repetition frequency was 0.8 MHz. The mode-locked laser ran in a stable operation for hours. We achieved a stable generation of picosecond pulses with milliwatts of an average output power.     

Demonstration of sharp switching from a power-symmetric NOLM and a polarizer

We demonstrate theoretically, experimentally and numerically that a steep all-optical transfer characteristic can be obtained from a power-symmetric NOLM, including a quarter wave retarder and highly twisted fibre, followed by a polarizer. We first develop a theoretical analysis to show that, if the input polarisation is chosen linear, then for a correct choice of the wave plate and input polarisation angles the transmission grows from zero with a 4 dB/dB slope as power is increased, two times faster than can be obtained with a NOLM alone. An experimental study is then realised, which supports the theoretical results. Steep switching is demonstrated for reasonably low peak power levels that do not exceed 8 W, less than one third of the NOLM critical power. In addition, using the same setup we demonstrate the possibility to obtain a sinusoidal transmission characteristic that cancels out for a particular nonzero value of input power, which can be easily adjusted simply through rotation of the wave plate and output polarizer. This setup would be very useful in the frame of optical pulse shaping and signal processing applications, among others.     

Experimental investigation of self-starting operation in a F8L based on a symmetrical NOLM

We experimentally analyze the self-starting operation of a figure-eight mode-locked fiber laser. The design is based on a power-balanced nonlinear optical loop mirror (NOLM) with highly twisted low-birefringence fiber and a quarter-wave (QW) retarder in the loop. The NOLM operates by nonlinear polarization rotation. Self-starting mode-locking requires a careful adjustment of the NOLM low-power transmission, which is easily realized with our setup by adjusting the angle of the QW retarder. The laser is capable of generating ∼20 ps pulses at the fundamental repetition frequency of 0.78 MHz.     

基于SOA和NOLM的光脉冲放大与压缩的设计模型

设计了一种基于半导体光放大器(SOA)和非线性光学环镜(NOLM)的光脉冲放大与压缩的模型。数值研究结果表明:在NOLM中,当调节合适的控制脉冲的输入和初始时延时,具有较低峰值功率、宽度为几十皮秒的高斯信号脉冲经此模型放大压缩后,可以得到脉冲峰值增益高、脉冲宽度窄以及基本无基座的高质量超短信号光脉冲。     

非线性光纤环形镜的脉冲透过特性研究

研究了光纤反常色散区非线性环形镜（NOLM）的脉冲透过特性，得到NOLM周期性透过率函数 第一极大值处透过率、压缩比和对应的孤子阶数与环长之间的函数关系图.通过比较长环和 短环NOLM对无啁啾、啁啾脉冲的透过率和压缩比特性，得出了长环有利于脉冲整形而短环有 利于脉冲压缩的结论. 关键词： 非线性环形镜 透过率 压缩比 孤子阶数     

High speed ultra short pulse fiber ring laser using photonic crystal fiber nonlinear optical loop mirror

A scheme to generate high speed optical pulse train with ultra short pulse width is proposed and experimentally studied. Two-step compression is used in the scheme: 20 GHz and 40 GHz pulse trains generated from a rational harmonic actively mode-locked fiber ring laser is compressed to a full width at half-maximum (FWHM) of ~ 1.5 ps using adiabatic soliton compression with dispersion shifted fibers (DSF). The pulse trains then undergo a pedestal removal process by transmission through a cascaded two photonic crystal fiber (PCF)-nonlinear optical loop mirrors (NOLM) realized using a double-ring structure. The shortest output pulse width obtained was ~ 610 fs for 20 GHz pulse train and ~ 570 fs for 40 GHz pulse train. The signal to noise ratio of the RF spectrum of the output pulse train is larger than 30 dB. Theoretical simulation of the NOLM transmission is conducted using split-step Fourier method. The results show that two cascaded NOLMs can improve the compression result compared to that for a single NOLM transmission.     

Optical pulse compression and amplitude noise reduction using a non-linear optical loop mirror including a distributed Gires-Tournois etalon

We propose and analyse numerically a novel dispersion-imbalanced non-linear optical loop mirror (NOLM) scheme allowing simultaneous compression and amplitude noise reduction of chirped ultrashort-pulsed signals. An all-fibre distributed Gires-Tournois etalon (DGTE) made of two uniform fibre Bragg gratings is inserted asymmetrically in the loop, and is used both to dispersion imbalance the NOLM and to compress the pulses. The results show that the output pulses are accompanied by side lobes, which originate from the no-uniformity of the DGTE dispersion spectrum. We analyse the formation of these side lobes and show that, in the case of highly chirped input pulses, side lobes are strongly reduced by the NOLM architecture. In this case, the device operates well even when the signal optical spectrum extends over an entire free spectral range of the DGTE. We believe that this work will be useful for the design of all-optical regeneration schemes for highly chirped data streams in optical transmission systems.     

Rational harmonic figure-eight actively-passively mode-locked erbium-doped fiber laser

The nonlinear optical loop mirror (NOLM) is used as a saturable absorbed to reshape pulses. Experimentally, an actively mode-locked erbium-doped fiber ring laser with figure-eight structure is set up. 2 - 4 order harmonic pulse train with stable amplitude has been obtained when the RF modulation frequency is about 2.5 GHz.     

8字形主被动锁模掺Er3+光纤激光器

在理论上分析了利用非线性光学环形镜作为等效可饱和吸收体压缩脉冲进行锁模的物理机制。利用8字形主被动混合锁模的结构在调制频率2．498749GHz下，在1．543μm处获得了12ps的锁模脉冲输出，对应谱宽0．22nm，时间脉宽积0．33。在抽运功率50mW情况下，输出脉冲平均功率3．715mW。在调制频率2．499344GHz、2．499114GHz和2．498999GHz时分别并获得了2～4阶幅度较为均衡的有理数谐波锁模脉冲序列。     

Figure-eight actively-passively mode-locked erbium-doped fiber laser

The advantages of using nonlinear optical loop mirror (NOLM) to compress pulse with slight amplitude fluctuation and reflected energy loss are analyzed in theory. Experimentally the NOLM is placed in an actively mode-locked erbium-doped fiber ring laser to form a figure-eight actively and passively mode-locked fiber laser. 12 ps mode-locked pulses centered at 1.543 μm were obtained with the modulation frequency of 2.498748700 GHz. 3.715 mW output power is achieved with 50 mW pump power.     

The use of NOLM for investigations of initial development of supercontinuum in fibers with anomalous dispersion

We performed a numerical study of the transmission through a nonlinear optical loop mirror (NOLM) of a sequence of solitons generated at the initial stage of the supercontinuum (SC) generation. We found that the NOLM exhibits a selective transmission that critically dependents on the amplitude of the input solitons and on the NOLM loop length. The results demonstrate that by properly selecting these parameters the NOLM behaves as an optically controlled switch that allows the transmission of solitons with similar amplitude and width. The results obtained by employing this method are reasonably good and can be used to analyze the soliton formation at the initial stage of SC generation.     

基于色散不对称光纤环形镜的锁模光纤激光器

在理论上数值计算了各种常量对色散不对称非线性光纤环形镜透射特性的影响。并分析了它作为被动锁模器件用于光纤激光器压窄脉冲的物理机制。利用8字形主被动混合锁模的结构在调制频率为9．998748700 GHz，波长为1566．65nm处获得了11ps的稳定锁模脉冲输出．对应谱宽0．297nm．同时在重复频率为9．995792825 GHz和9．996778256 GHz时分别得到了振幅均匀的二阶和三阶谐波锁模输出。证明色散不对称非线性光纤环形镜可以有效消减脉冲的尾翼和噪声．得到脉幅稳定的脉冲序列。     

Optimum splitting ratio for amplifier noise reduction by an asymmetric nonlinear optical loop mirror

We theoretically and experimentally analyze the influence of the splitting ratio and the input power on the noise reduction capability of an asymmetric nonlinear optical loop mirror (NOLM) for different input noise levels. An easy method to calculate the optimum parameters for noise reduction is also presented. The best noise reduction is found at NOLM input powers at which the nonlinear transfer function has a slope close to zero. Additionally, the splitting ratio of the NOLM has to be adapted to its input noise level to suppress amplitude fluctuations effectively. Since the noise reduction by the NOLM is due to the Kerr nonlinearity, which has a timescale below a few femtoseconds, the noise reduction is applicable to short pulses in the picosecond and femtosecond range. This makes the NOLM applicable as an optical regenerator in an optical data transmission system at high bit rates, such as 160 GBit/s.     

All-fiber passive mode-locked laser to generate ps pulses based in a symmetrical NOLM

We experimentally investigate an all-fiber passively mode-locked laser generating ps pulses. The experimental setup is a figure eight fiber laser configuration, including a power-symmetric Nonlinear Optical Loop Mirror (NOLM) with highly twisted low-birefringence fiber in the loop. NOLM switching is achieved by polarization asymmetry between the counter-propagating beams in the loop. We used a Quarter-Wave Retarder in the loop to break the polarization symmetry. Using a polarizer beam-splitter cube as the NOLM output we got the best quality output pulses from the laser. At this output, we are monitoring the output pulse polarization component which is parallel to the input NOLM component. We achieved stable generation of ～25 ps pulses at the repetition frequency of 0.78 MHz with milliwatts average output power. The mode-locked laser ran in stable operation for hours.     

抑制信道间干涉的40 Gb/s光码分复用系统

成功演示了码片速率高达280 Gchip/s的全光编解码,编解码光栅是采用"等效相移"方法制作而成的超结构光纤布拉格光栅(SSFBG).考虑和分析了信道间干涉,实验验证了40 Gb/s×2的光码分复用(OCDM)信号复用.引入非线性光学环镜(NOLM))来抑制信道问干涉,利用非线性光学环镜的非线性开关特性将解码输出脉冲的宽度由7.7 ps压缩至3.8 ps,并同时有效的减小了干扰噪声,进而提高系统性能.理论计算和实验结果表明了采用超结构光纤布拉格光栅和非线性光学环镜实现高效编解码的可行性.高速的全光编解码可以应用于点到点的光码分复用系统以及光标签交换网络.     

高速OCDM系统中的全光阈值技术分析

分析了高速OCDM系统中基于非线性光学环境(NOLM)和非线性放大(NALM)环境的全光阈值技术。考虑了NOLM环境输入脉冲峰值功率对其阈值判决功能的影响,数值模拟了由高非线性光纤构成的NOLM和NALM环境的脉冲整形和旁瓣抑制功能,并和实验结果进行了比较。结果表明基于NOLM和NALM环境的全光阈值技术都能有效地抑制40 Gbit/s的OCDM系统中的干扰噪声,最优的NOLM环境的脉冲峰值输入功率为2 W,而NALM环境只需要mW量级的脉冲峰值输入功率即能够更好地抑制干扰噪声。     

全光纤高功率被动锁模掺铥光纤激光器

利用非线性光环形镜(NOLM)的可饱和吸收特性实现了可自启动的2μm全光纤高能量被动锁模掺铥光纤激光器。当泵浦功率大于3W时,激光器工作在连续或不稳定脉冲运转状态;泵浦功率达到4.69W后,输出为自启动锁模脉冲,重复频率4.26MHz,中心波长2 061.5nm,光谱半极大宽度18.1nm,平均输出功率8.8mW;继续增加泵浦功率到最大值7.56W,可以得到中心波长2 062.2nm、光谱半极大宽度17.1nm、斜率效率为6.2%、脉冲宽度和能量分别为424fs和65.6nJ的稳定锁模脉冲。这是目前已报道的在未经放大情况下脉冲能量最高的2μm锁模脉冲光纤激光器。     

Asymmetric Nonlinear Optical Loop Mirror for All Optical Clock Extraction in Self-clocked Optical Transparent OTDM Network

１ＩｎｔｒｏｄｕｃｔｉｏｎＡｓａｅｆｅｃｔｉｖｅｗａｙｔｏｔａｋｅｆｕｌａｄｖａｎｔａｇｅｓｏｆｔｈｅｂａｎｄｗｉｄｔｈｏｆｔｈｅｆｉｂｅｒ,ｏｐｔｉｃａｌｔｉｍｅｄｉｖｉｓｉｏｎｍｕｌｔｉｐｌｅｘｉｎｇ（ＯＴＤＭ）ｔｅｃｈｎｏｌｏｇｙｈａｓｂｅｎｗ...