40 GHz soliton train generation through multisoliton pulse compression in a dispersion varying optical fibre circuit

The authors have demonstrated a new technique for beat-signal to soliton train conversion based on multisoliton compression effects. This technique permits the use of considerably shorter fibre lengths than all previous dispersion decreasing fibre based conversion schemes and permits the generation of soliton trains with repetition rates in the 30-40 GHz range. The method is also considerably simpler and less environmentally sensitive than other interferometric, NOLM based conversion schemes that can also operate in this repetition rate regime. The high quality of the solitons so generated is demonstrated by measurements of the individual pulse parameters and by propagation of the pulses in additional fibre spans. Further work on phase-noise/timing-jitter suppression and modulation techniques is still required however before such sources can be considered suitable for high speed telecommunication applications