Use of nonlinear amplifying loop mirror to reduce power fluctuations in ultrafast optically time-division-multiplexed pulse trains

Summary form only given. Optical time-division-multiplexing (OTDM) allows high data rates without high-speed electronics. In a pulse train, interference can occur between each pulse and the pedestal of nearby pulses. In OTDM multiplexers, environmental fluctuations result in variations of the pulse-pedestal relative phase prior to recombination, yielding a slow modulation of the average power of the multiplexed data stream. The problem is alleviated if alternating polarization states are used; however, some demultiplexing schemes require uniformly polarized data streams. We employ a short-pulse source, described previously, and a nonlinear amplifying loop mirror (NALM) to demonstrate the effect of pedestal reduction on amplitude fluctuations. The complete pulse source consists of a 2.5 GHz gain-switched laser diode, a linear pulse compressor, an adiabatic soliton pulse compressor, and the NALM. The NALM provides pulse truncation and pedestal reduction through nonlinear transmission.