Title :
Dual-wavelength ultrafast complete optical switching in a polarization-maintaining fiber
Author :
Nayar, B.K. ; Vanherzeele, H.
Author_Institution :
British Telecom Res. Lab., Ipswich, UK
Abstract :
Complete optical switching of 2-30 ps signal pulses in the 0.83-1.0 mu m wavelength range is demonstrated using 50 ps control pulses at 1.053 mu m in an optical-fiber Kerr modulator/switch. This is achieved using an initial temporal offset between the pulses and group velocity dispersion to enable the fast pulse to walk-through the slow one. It is shown that a minimum switching power results when the initial offset is one-half of the relative group delay. As an important corollary, complete switching can occur with a control pulse shorter than the signal pulse.<>
Keywords :
fibre optics; high-speed optical techniques; light polarisation; optical Kerr effect; optical dispersion; optical switches; 0.83 to 1.0 micron; 1.053 micron; 2 to 30 ps; 50 ps; control pulses; group velocity dispersion; minimum switching power; optical fibre Kerr switch; optical-fiber Kerr modulator; polarization-maintaining fiber; relative group delay; signal pulses; temporal offset; ultrafast complete optical switching; walk-through; Delay; Fiber nonlinear optics; Optical control; Optical fiber polarization; Optical interferometry; Optical pulse shaping; Optical pulses; Optical solitons; Space vector pulse width modulation; Ultrafast optics;
Journal_Title :
Photonics Technology Letters, IEEE
