Search Results
Simulation of pulse propagation in nonlinear optical fibers
We solve numerically a generalized nonlinear Schroedinger equation by using a pseudospectral method. Integration is performed by using an eight-order Runge-Kutta scheme. The numerical method therefore differs from the commonly used split-step method. Effects such as the impact of group velocity dispersion (GVD) up to fourth-order dispersion, self phase modulation (SPM), self-steepening and intrapulse Raman scattering can be investigated with the code. Examples for the above effects are demonstrated, as well as their interplay in the context of soliton propagation and sub-picosecond pulses.
Analysis of the interplay between soliton fission and modulation instability in supercontinuum generation
We investigate the generation mechanisms for ultrawide spectra in nonlinear optical fibers. Soliton fission and modulation instability represent fundamental mechanisms for the generation process. The primary origin of the spectral broadening changes with the pump-pulse duration. Soliton fission dominates for low input power and short pulses. Its efficiency for supercontinuum generation and especially the extend to the blue side can be increased by proper design of the dispersion profile. The modulation instability has a strong impact for high input powers and greatly enhances the generation process, but leads to a degradation of the coherence properties. Also for short pulses with durations of 60 fs the modulation instability is present and can hardly be suppressed. The interplay between these two effects leads to various characteristics of the resulting spectra, which are modified by to the relative impact of the modulation instability.
Effect of higher-order dispersion on modulation instability, soliton propagation and pulse splitting
By solving numerically the extended nonlinear Schrödinger equation we investigate the influence of higher-order dispersion effects on the propagation of optical pulses in highly nonlinear fibers. In the anomalous dispersion regime third-order dispersion can, in general, induce soliton fission and yields asymmetric spectra, whereas modulation instability can be slightly suppressed. In the normal dispersion regime we demonstrate pulse splitting by third-order dispersion, as well as its later suppression by fourth-order dispersion.
Limit for pulse compression by pulse splitting
We have detected a fundamental pulse-compression limit for high-nonlinear fibers in the normal dispersion regime near the zero-dispersion wavelength. The desired generation of a broadband continuum by self-phase modulation is limited by already small amounts of third-order dispersion, which results in pulse splitting above a critical pulse power. We investigate the critical fiber length in dependence on pulse- and fiber parameters.
Compression limit by third-order dispersion in the normal dispersion regime
Broad-band continua at gigahertz rates generated in high-nonlinear dispersion flattened fibers in the normal dispersion regime near the zero-dispersion wavelength can be used for a subsequent efficient pulse compression, leading to stable high-repetition-rate trains of femtosecond pulses. We show experimentally and theoretically that third-order dispersion defines a critical power, where beyond further compression is inhibited. This fundamental limit is caused by a pulse-breakup.
Non-Raman redshift by pulse splitting in the normal dispersion regime
While usually the generation of a Stokes component is attributed to Raman scattering, we present here experimentally and numerically a more fundamental mechanism which can be explained by the nonlinear Schrödinger equation alone. It can be employed to excite new frequency components on the red side, by using pulse splitting in the normal dispersion regime.