Theory of photoionization-induced blueshift of ultrashort solitons in gas-filled hollow-core photonic crystal fibers.

We show theoretically that the photoionization process in a hollow-core photonic crystal fiber filled with a Raman-inactive noble gas leads to a constant acceleration of solitons in the time domain with a continuous shift to higher frequencies, limited only by ionization loss. This phenomenon is opposite to the well-known Raman self-frequency redshift of solitons in solid-core glass fibers. We also predict the existence of unconventional long-range nonlocal soliton interactions leading to spectral and temporal soliton clustering. Furthermore, if the core is filled with a Raman-active molecular gas, spectral transformations between redshifted, blueshifted, and stabilized solitons can take place in the same fiber.

[1]  A. Husakou,et al.  Supercontinuum generation of higher-order solitons by fission in photonic crystal fibers. , 2001, Physical review letters.

[2]  B Hafizi,et al.  Propagation of intense short laser pulses in the atmosphere. , 2002, Physical review. E, Statistical, nonlinear, and soft matter physics.

[3]  K. Osvay,et al.  Measurement of pressure dependent nonlinear refractive index of inert gases , 2009, 2009 Conference on Lasers and Electro-Optics and 2009 Conference on Quantum electronics and Laser Science Conference.

[4]  E. Marcatili,et al.  Hollow metallic and dielectric waveguides for long distance optical transmission and lasers , 1964 .

[5]  G. G. Stokes.  "J." , 1890, The New Yale Book of Quotations.

[6]  W. M. Wood,et al.  Femtosecond growth dynamics of an underdense ionization front measured by spectral blueshifting , 1993 .

[7]  F. Benabid,et al.  High harmonic generation in a gas-filled hollow-core photonic crystal fiber , 2009 .

[8]  Andrew G. Glen,et al.  APPL , 2001 .

[9]  See Leang Chin,et al.  Laser ionization of noble gases by Coulomb-barrier suppression , 1991 .

[10]  G. Wong,et al.  Pressure-controlled phase matching to third harmonic in Ar-filled hollow-core photonic crystal fiber. , 2010, Optics letters.

[11]  L. Mollenauer,et al.  Discovery of the soliton self-frequency shift. , 1986, Optics letters.

[12]  P. Russell.  Photonic Crystal Fibers , 2003, Science.

[13]  P. Russell,et al.  Influence of ionization on ultrafast gas-based nonlinear fiber optics. , 2011, Optics express.

[14]  Nonlinear Guided Wave Phenomena , 1990 .

[15]  Ferenc Krausz,et al.  Light Propagation in Field-Ionizing Media: Extreme Nonlinear Optics , 1999 .

[16]  C. Kaminski,et al.  Solitary pulse generation by backward Raman scattering in H2-filled photonic crystal fibers. , 2009, Physical review letters.

[17]  Lucek Jk,et al.  Soliton self-frequency shift in telecommunications fiber. , 1992 .

[18]  A. Zheltikov,et al.  Ionization-induced effects in the soliton dynamics of high-peak-power femtosecond pulses in hollow photonic-crystal fibers , 2007 .

[19]  Luk,et al.  Tunneling ionization in the multiphoton regime. , 1990, Physical review. A, Atomic, molecular, and optical physics.

[20]  M F Saleh,et al.  Femtosecond nonlinear fiber optics in the ionization regime. , 2011, Physical review letters.

[21]  P. St. J. Russell,et al.  Direct observation of self-similarity in evolution of transient stimulated Raman scattering in gas-filled photonic crystal fibers. , 2010, Physical review letters.

[22]  Soliton blueshift in tapered photonic crystal fibers. , 2010, Physical review letters.

[23]  P St J Russell,et al.  Bright spatially coherent wavelength-tunable deep-UV laser source using an Ar-filled photonic crystal fiber. , 2011, Physical review letters.

[24]  Govind P. Agrawal,et al.  Nonlinear Fiber Optics , 1989 .

[25]  F. Benabid,et al.  Stimulated Raman Scattering in Hydrogen-Filled Hollow-Core Photonic Crystal Fiber , 2002, Science.

[26]  Ionization-induced blueshift of high-peak-power guided-wave ultrashort laser pulses in hollow-core photonic-crystal fibers , 2007 .