Title :
1.36-Tb/s spectral slicing source based on a Cr4+-YAG femtosecond laser
Author :
Chai, Y.J. ; Leburn, C.G. ; Lagatsky, A.A. ; Brown, C.T.A. ; Penty, R.V. ; White, I.H. ; Sibbett, W.
Author_Institution :
Dept. of Eng., Univ. of Cambridge, UK
fDate :
3/1/2005 12:00:00 AM
Abstract :
This paper reports a novel optical-time-division-multiplexing (OTDM)/wavelength-division-multiplexing (WDM) source based on spectral slicing of a Kerr-lens mode-locked Cr4+-YAG femtosecond laser. This mode-locked laser produces bandwidth-limited pulses having durations of 70 fs and corresponding spectral widths of 40 nm. This bandwidth is sufficiently large that an arrayed-waveguide grating (AWG) could be employed to spectrally slice the laser output into 32 different wavelength channels. A total capacity of 1.36 Tb/s (32 × 40.64 Gb/s) with measured Q factors of 8 to 13 is achieved. The spectral efficiency is 0.4 b/s/Hz.
Keywords :
arrayed waveguide gratings; chromium; laser mode locking; lenses; light sources; optical Kerr effect; optical communication equipment; optical pulse generation; solid lasers; spectral line breadth; time division multiplexing; wavelength division multiplexing; 1.36 Tbit/s; 40 nm; 40.64 Gbit/s; 70 fs; AWG; Kerr-lens mode-locked femtosecond laser; OTDM; WDM; YAG:Cr4+; YAl5O12:Cr; arrayed-waveguide grating; bandwidth-limited pulses; optical-time-division-multiplexing; spectral efficiency; spectral slicing source; wavelength channels; wavelength-division-multiplexing; Arrayed waveguide gratings; Bandwidth; Channel capacity; Chromium; Laser mode locking; Optical arrays; Optical pulses; Space vector pulse width modulation; Ultrafast optics; Wavelength division multiplexing; Optical communications; solid-state lasers; spectral slicing; wavelength-division-multiplexing (WDM) source;
Journal_Title :
Lightwave Technology, Journal of
DOI :
10.1109/JLT.2004.840008
