Nonlinear optics in doped fibers. Final report, May 1, 1992--April 30, 1996
The main objective of this contract was to study a novel scheme to obtain very strong third-order optical nonlinearities in fibers doped with a suitable absorber in order to produce low-power all-optical fiber switches. In these devices, a signal is switched from a first fiber to a second fiber by the application of an optimal pump of wavelength different from that of the signal. The pump acts on the nonlinearity of the fiber, resulting from the dopant present in the fiber core, to modify the fiber index. The switch is made of a fiber interferometer which transforms this index modulation into an amplitude modulation. The signal is switched as long as the pump is applied, and it returns to the first fiber when the pump is turned off. The incentive was to develop switches exhibiting the following properties: (1) low switching power, (2) a short nonlinear fiber to be able to utilize a short and thus environmentally stable interferometer, (3) fast response time, (4) broad range of signal wavelengths, particularly around 1.55 and 1.32 {micro}m, (5) pump wavelengths readily available from diode lasers, and (6) low signal loss. This research also involved the study of various fiber interferometers to determine the best possible switch architectures, in terms of pump power requirement, stability against environmental temperature fluctuations and possible pump-induced heating of the fiber. Switches are strongly needed for a large number of important applications. The rest of this report is a summary of the most important tasks carried out, and of the major discoveries made, under this contract.
- Research Organization:
- Stanford Univ., CA (United States). Edward L. Ginzton Lab.
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE Office of Energy Research, Washington, DC (United States)
- DOE Contract Number:
- FG03-92ER12126
- OSTI ID:
- 418476
- Report Number(s):
- DOE/ER/12126-T2; ON: DE97001777; TRN: AHC29702%%91
- Resource Relation:
- Other Information: PBD: 18 Sep 1996
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
High repetition rate production of picosecond pulses at wavelengths <250nm
Monolithically integrated nonlinear interferometers for all-optical switching