Generation of subpicosecond solitonlike optical pulses at 0.3 THz repetition rate by induced modulational instability

Abstract

We report the generation of 0.5 ps full width at half-maximum optical pulses at >0.3 THz (tunable) repetition rate via an induced modulational instability in a single-mode fiber. A 1.319-μm neodymium:yttrium aluminum garnet laser is chosen as the carrier wave and the initial modulation on this carrier is introduced by mixing it with an external-grating-cavity InGaAsP laser. The use of this all-optical modulating scheme and the nonlinear optical propagation effect in fiber (i.e., modulational instability) allows one to reach into the terahertz regime, which is about two orders of magnitude beyond the fastest data limited by the finite response of electronics.

Laser excitation of ultrashort acoustic pulses: New possibilities in solid-state spectroscopy, diagnostics of fast processes, and nonlinear acoustics

“…За счет развития неустойчивости при распространения лазерного излучения в оптических волокнах получена амплитудная модуляция света на частотах 0,3 ТГц [228] и v п 5 ТГц [229]. С использованием таких оптических систем возбуждение и регистрацию звука можно осуществлять непосредст венно на частоте повторения лазерных импульсов или ее гармониках.…”

Experimental Study on the Role of Chromatic Dispersion in Continuous-Wave Supercontinuum Generation

“…In fact, CW-light propagating in the anomalous dispersion regime of an optical fiber breaksup into a train of solitonlike pulses due to MI. As the MI oscillation frequency is inversely proportional to √ β 2 [27], shorter solitons are expected to be generated when pumping closer to λ ZD [17], [28]. As shorter solitons redshift faster due to SSFS [18], [19], a much wider spectrum is expected to be generated when pumping closer to λ ZD .…”

Modulational Instability of Nonlinear Exponential Schrödinger Waves

“…In particular, the modulational stability of the modified nonlinear Schrödinger equation has been discussed by Parkes [10]. The modulational instability of a continuous wave (cw) optical signal in a glass fiber combined with an externally modulated amplitude modulation can be used to create a train of optical solitons [12,13] with a high repetition rate. It exeeds 0.3 THz and is tunable, whereas the highest repetition rate, obtained from direct modulation of light electronically, is about 20 GHz [12].…”

“…The modulational instability of a continuous wave (cw) optical signal in a glass fiber combined with an externally modulated amplitude modulation can be used to create a train of optical solitons [12,13] with a high repetition rate. It exeeds 0.3 THz and is tunable, whereas the highest repetition rate, obtained from direct modulation of light electronically, is about 20 GHz [12]. Due to high cost of constuction of the soliton laser [14] by which quite substantial power is needed to produce a soliton [15] this way of creation of the solitons is very important.…”