Ultrafast all-optical switching utilizing the optical Kerr effect in polarization-maintaining single-mode fibers

Author

Morioka, Toshio ; Saruwatari, Masatoshi

Author_Institution

NTT Lab., Kanagawa, Japan

Volume

6

Issue

7

fYear

1988

fDate

8/1/1988 12:00:00 AM

Firstpage

1186

Lastpage

1198

Abstract

An ultrafast all-optical switching scheme utilizing the optical Kerr effect in two birefringent fibers concatenated with each fast axis crossed is proposed. Stable optical Kerr modulation and all-optical demultiplexing of an ultrashort (30 p.s.) optical pulse train at 1.97 GHz from a gain-switched distributed-feedback laser diode (DFB LD) have been sufficiently demonstrated using CW mode-locking Nd:YAG laser pulses as a pump. Switching speed and required pump powers are studied in terms of fiber bandwidth due to fiber birefringence, and combined effects of chromatic and polarization dispersions on Kerr modulation profiles. By utilizing the optical Kerr modulation properties in the presence of dispersions, the nondiagonal yx component of the nonlinear refractive index is also determined to be 0.34 relative to the diagonal component xx. The intrinsic stability and ultimate switching capabilities are discussed

Keywords

birefringence; light polarisation; optical Kerr effect; optical communication equipment; optical fibres; optical modulation; optical pumping; semiconductor junction lasers; switching systems; 1.97 GHz; 30 ps; CW mode-locking Nd:YAG laser pulses; YAG:Nd; YAl5O12:Nd; all-optical demultiplexing; all-optical switching; birefringent fibers; chromatic dispersions; diagonal component; gain-switched distributed-feedback laser diode; intrinsic stability; nondiagonal component; nonlinear refractive index; optical Kerr effect; optical pulse train; polarization dispersions; polarization-maintaining single-mode fibers; pump; stable optical Kerr modulation; ultimate switching capabilities; ultrafast switching scheme; Birefringence; Fiber nonlinear optics; Kerr effect; Nonlinear optics; Optical fiber polarization; Optical modulation; Optical pumping; Optical refraction; Optical variables control; Ultrafast optics;

fLanguage

English

Journal_Title

Selected Areas in Communications, IEEE Journal on

Publisher

ieee

ISSN

0733-8716

Type

jour

DOI

10.1109/49.7839

Filename

7839