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Picosecond flat-top pulse generation using dual-mode fiber Mach-Zehnder interferometers
1Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec H3A 2A7, Canada. tianzhaobing@gmail.com
Optics Letters
|December 6, 2011
Summary
We developed a tunable optical fiber Mach-Zehnder interferometer. This device reshapes short optical pulses, demonstrating its potential for advanced optical signal processing.
Area of Science:
- Optoelectronics
- Fiber optics
- Interferometry
Background:
- Mach-Zehnder interferometers are fundamental optical devices.
- Controlling light pulses is crucial for optical communications and signal processing.
Purpose of the Study:
- To create a tunable optical fiber Mach-Zehnder interferometer.
- To demonstrate its application as a pulse shaper.
Main Methods:
- Fabrication of an optical fiber Mach-Zehnder interferometer by offset splicing a dual-mode fiber with two single-mode fibers.
- Axial rotation of the dual-mode fiber to tune the extinction ratio.
Main Results:
- Achieved a tunable extinction ratio from less than 1 dB to over 28 dB.
- Successfully converted a 2.5 picosecond (ps) Gaussian pulse into a 5.2 ps flat-top pulse using the interferometer as a pulse shaper.
Conclusions:
- The proposed offset-spliced fiber interferometer offers tunable spectral control.
- This device is effective for optical pulse shaping applications.
