Nonlinear interaction between optical pulses from high-repetition gain-switched DFB-LD in optical fiber

Interaction forces between propagating pulse pairs from a gain-switched distributed feedback laser diode (DFB-LD) were investigated. The authors discuss the experimental observation of a nonlinear interaction force between the fiber-compressed, gain-switched optical pulses. Optical pulses were generated by a gain-switched 1.55 mu m DFB-LD at a 10 GHz repetition rate, and compressed by compensating for the red-shifted chirping in the optical pulses using a polarization-holding fiber with a 18.7 ps/km/nm normal dispersion at a 1.55 mu m wavelength. The measured interaction force, which was greater than that theoretically predicted, was caused by the wings and/or pedestal associated with copropagating pulses.<>