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Picosecond pulse generation from a continuous-wave diode laser through cross-phase modulation in an optical fiber
Optics Letters
|September 22, 2009
Summary
Picosecond pulses were generated using cross-phase modulation from a diode-laser source. Tuning the diode laser minimized group-velocity mismatch for optimized spectral broadening.
Area of Science:
- Optics and Photonics
- Laser Physics
Background:
- Continuous-wave (cw) diode lasers are crucial for various applications.
- Mode-locked lasers provide ultrashort pulses for nonlinear optics.
- Cross-phase modulation (XPM) is a key nonlinear optical effect.
Purpose of the Study:
- To generate picosecond pulses from a cw diode-laser source.
- To optimize spectral broadening using cross-phase modulation.
- To investigate the role of group-velocity mismatch in the process.
Main Methods:
- Utilized a cw diode-laser source tuned near 1.5 microm.
- Employed cross-phase modulation (XPM) from a cw-pumped mode-locked Nd:YAG laser at 1.06 microm.
- Minimized group-velocity mismatch by careful wavelength selection.
Main Results:
- Successfully generated picosecond pulses from the diode-laser source.
- Achieved efficient spectral broadening through optimized XPM.
- Demonstrated the benefit of minimizing group-velocity mismatch for fiber length utilization.
Conclusions:
- Picosecond pulse generation is feasible using XPM with a cw diode laser.
- Wavelength tuning is critical for mitigating group-velocity mismatch and enhancing XPM efficiency.
- This method offers a pathway for efficient spectral broadening in optical fibers.
