Optimization and characterization of a femtosecond tunable light source based on the soliton self-frequency shift in photonic crystal fiber

We take advantage of the Raman soliton self-frequency shift experienced during the propagation in an anomalous dispersive photonic crystal fiber in order to continuously tune the central frequency of ultrashort pulses. We discuss the fiber properties to be favored to obtain high power spectral densities and we carry out an extensive experimental study of the properties of the frequency shifted pulses in terms of spectral, autocorrelation, and RF spectrum measurements.

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

[2]  Kazuyoshi Itoh,et al.  Quasi-super-continuum generation using ultrahigh-speed wavelength-tunable soliton pulses based on 1.06 µm ultrashort pulse laser system , 2009 .

[3]  P. Russell,et al.  Soliton Self-Frequency Shift Cancellation in Photonic Crystal Fibers , 2003, Science.

[4]  Esben Ravn Andresen,et al.  Transform-limited spectral compression by self-phase modulation of amplitude-shaped pulses with negative chirp. , 2011, Optics letters.

[5]  Ian Fuss.  An interpretation of the spectral measurement of optical pulse train noise , 1994 .

[6]  Antoine Courjaud,et al.  Polarized multiplex coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering using a picosecond laser and a fiber supercontinuum. , 2011, Journal of biomedical optics.

[7]  J. Thøgersen,et al.  Fiber laser-based light source for coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering microspectroscopy. , 2007, Optics express.

[8]  J. Dudley,et al.  Supercontinuum generation in photonic crystal fiber , 2006 .

[9]  D. Linde.  Characterization of the noise in continuously operating mode-locked lasers , 1986 .

[10]  P. Dupriez,et al.  High power tunable femtosecond soliton source using hollow-core photonic bandgap fiber, and its use for frequency doubling. , 2008, Optics express.

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

[12]  Jan Wojcik,et al.  Second zero dispersion wavelength measurement through soliton self-frequency shift compensation in suspended core fibre , 2008 .

[13]  Stephen E. Ralph,et al.  Spectral method for the simultaneous determination of uncorrelated and correlated amplitude and timing jitter , 2002 .

[14]  F. Omenetto,et al.  Interaction of an optical soliton with a dispersive wave. , 2005, Physical review letters.

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

[16]  A M Zheltikov,et al.  Spectral compression of frequency-shifting solitons in a photonic-crystal fiber. , 2009, Optics letters.

[17]  I. G. Cormack,et al.  Observation of soliton self-frequency shift in photonic crystal fibre , 2002 .

[18]  D. Skryabin,et al.  Colloquium: Looking at a soliton through the prism of optical supercontinuum , 2010, 1005.2777.

[19]  Norihiko Nishizawa,et al.  Measurement of Timing Jitter in Wavelength Tunable Femtosecond Soliton Pulses , 2000 .

[20]  M. Szpulak,et al.  Nonlinear femtosecond pulse propagation in all-solid photonic bandgap fiber , 2009, 2009 Conference on Lasers and Electro-Optics and 2009 Conference on Quantum electronics and Laser Science Conference.

[21]  A. Mussot,et al.  Control of supercontinuum generation and soliton self-frequency shift in solid-core photonic bandgap fibers. , 2009, Optics letters.