First experimental demonstration of terabit interferometric drop, add and extract multiplexer

We present the first experimental implementation of an all-optical ROADM scheme for routing of individual channels within an all-optical OFDM superchannel. The interferometric technique demonstrated enables a fully flexible node, implementing the extraction, drop and addition of individual sub-channel.

Spatial-spectral flexible optical networking:enabling switching solutions for a simplified and efficient SDM network platform

The traffic carried by core optical networks grows at a steady but remarkable pace of 30-40% year-over-year. Optical transmissions and networking advancements continue to satisfy the traffic requirements by delivering the content over the network infrastructure in a cost and energy efficient manner. Such core optical networks serve the information traffic demands in a dynamic way, in response to requirements for shifting of traffics demands, both temporally (day/night) and spatially (business district/residential). However as we are approaching fundamental spectral efficiency limits of singlemode fibers, the scientific community is pursuing recently the development of an innovative, all-optical network architecture introducing the spatial degree of freedom when designing/operating future transport networks. Spacedivision- multiplexing through the use of bundled single mode fibers, and/or multi-core fibers and/or few-mode fibers can offer up to 100-fold capacity increase in future optical networks. The EU INSPACE project is working on the development of a complete spatial-spectral flexible optical networking solution, offering the network ultra-high capacity, flexibility and energy efficiency required to meet the challenges of delivering exponentially growing traffic demands in the internet over the next twenty years. In this paper we will present the motivation and main research activities of the INSPACE consortium towards the realization of the overall project solution. © 2014 Copyright SPIE.

Optical information capacity processing

The never-stopping increase in demand for information transmission capacity has been met with technological advances in telecommunication systems, such as the implementation of coherent optical systems, advanced multilevel multidimensional modulation formats, fast signal processing, and research into new physical media for signal transmission (e.g. a variety of new types of optical fibers). Since the increase in the signal-to-noise ratio makes fiber communication channels essentially nonlinear (due to the Kerr effect for example), the problem of estimating the Shannon capacity for nonlinear communication channels is not only conceptually interesting, but also practically important. Here we discuss various nonlinear communication channels and review the potential of different optical signal coding, transmission and processing techniques to improve fiber-optic Shannon capacity and to increase the system reach.

Temporal and spectral nonlinear pulse shaping methods in optical fibers

The combination of the third-order optical nonlinearity with chromatic dispersion in optical fibers offers an extremely rich variety of possibilities for tailoring the temporal and spectral content of a light signal, depending on the regime of dispersion that is used. Here, we review recent progress on the use of third-order nonlinear processes in optical fibers for pulse shaping in the temporal and spectral domains. Various examples of practical significance will be discussed, spanning fields from the generation of specialized temporal waveforms to the generation of ultrashort pulses, and to stable continuum generation.

Nonlinear pulse shaping in fibres for pulse generation and optical processing

The development of new all-optical technologies for data processing and signal manipulation is a field of growing importance with a strong potential for numerous applications in diverse areas of modern science. Nonlinear phenomena occurring in optical fibres have many attractive features and great, but not yet fully explored, potential in signal processing. Here, we review recent progress on the use of fibre nonlinearities for the generation and shaping of optical pulses and on the applications of advanced pulse shapes in all-optical signal processing. Amongst other topics, we will discuss ultrahigh repetition rate pulse sources, the generation of parabolic shaped pulses in active and passive fibres, the generation of pulses with triangular temporal profiles, and coherent supercontinuum sources. The signal processing applications will span optical regeneration, linear distortion compensation, optical decision at the receiver in optical communication systems, spectral and temporal signal doubling, and frequency conversion. © Copyright 2012 Sonia Boscolo and Christophe Finot.

Generation of optical frequency combs in fibres:an optical pulse analysis

The innovation of optical frequency combs (OFCs) generated in passive mode-locked lasers has provided astronomy with unprecedented accuracy for wavelength calibration in high-resolution spectroscopy in research areas such as the discovery of exoplanets or the measurement of fundamental constants. The unique properties of OCFs, namely a highly dense spectrum of uniformly spaced emission lines of nearly equal intensity over the nominal wavelength range, is not only beneficial for high-resolution spectroscopy. Also in the low- to medium-resolution domain, the OFCs hold the promise to revolutionise the calibration techniques. Here, we present a novel method for generation of OFCs. As opposed to the mode-locked laser-based approach that can be complex, costly, and difficult to stabilise, we propose an all optical fibre-based system that is simple, compact, stable, and low-cost. Our system consists of three optical fibres where the first one is a conventional single-mode fibre, the second one is an erbium-doped fibre and the third one is a highly nonlinear low-dispersion fibre. The system is pumped by two equally intense continuous-wave (CW) lasers. To be able to control the quality and the bandwidth of the OFCs, it is crucial to understand how optical solitons arise out of the initial modulated CW field in the first fibre. Here, we numerically investigate the pulse evolution in the first fibre using the technique of the solitons radiation beat analysis. Having applied this technique, we realised that formation of higherorder solitons is supported in the low-energy region, whereas, in the high-energy region, Kuznetsov-Ma solitons appear.

Nonlinear optical effects manifested by electromagnetic induced transparency in cold atoms

This dissertation reports experimental studies of nonlinear optical effects manifested by electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) in cold Rb atoms. The cold Rb atoms are confined in a magneto-optic trap (MOT) obtained with the standard laser cooling and trapping technique. Because of the near zero Doppler shift and a high phase density, the cold Rb sample is well suited for studies of atomic coherence and interference and related applications, and the experiments can be compared quantitatively with theoretical calculations. It is shown that with EIT induced in the multi-level Rb system by laser fields, the linear absorption is suppressed and the nonlinear susceptibility is enhanced, which enables studies of nonlinear optics in the cold atoms with slow photons and at low light intensities. Three independent experiments are described and the experimental results are presented. First, an experimental method that can produce simultaneously co-propagating slow and fast light pulses is discussed and the experimental demonstration is reported. Second, it is shown that in a three-level Rb system coupled by multi-color laser fields, the multi-channel two-photon Raman transitions can be manipulated by the relative phase and frequency of a control laser field. Third, a scheme for all-optical switching near single photon levels is developed. The scheme is based on the phase-dependent multi-photon interference in a coherently coupled four-level system. The phase dependent multi-photon interference is observed and switching of a single light pulse by a control pulse containing ∼20 photons is demonstrated. These experimental studies reveal new phenomena manifested by quantum coherence and interference in cold atoms, contribute to the advancement of fundamental quantum optics and nonlinear optics at ultra-low light intensities, and may lead to the development of new techniques to control quantum states of atoms and photons, which will be useful for applications in quantum measurements and quantum photonic devices.

Periodic polymer photonic bandgap structures for on-chip optical cavities

Integrated on-chip optical platforms enable high performance in applications of high-speed all-optical or electro-optical switching, wide-range multi-wavelength on-chip lasing for communication, and lab-on-chip optical sensing. Integrated optical resonators with high quality factor are a fundamental component in these applications. Periodic photonic structures (photonic crystals) exhibit a photonic band gap, which can be used to manipulate photons in a way similar to the control of electrons in semiconductor circuits. This makes it possible to create structures with radically improved optical properties. Compared to silicon, polymers offer a potentially inexpensive material platform with ease of fabrication at low temperatures and a wide range of material properties when doped with nanocrystals and other molecules. In this research work, several polymer periodic photonic structures are proposed and investigated to improve optical confinement and optical sensing. We developed a fast numerical method for calculating the quality factor of a photonic crystal slab (PhCS) cavity. The calculation is implemented via a 2D-FDTD method followed by a post-process for cavity surface energy radiation loss. Computational time is saved and good accuracy is demonstrated compared to other published methods. Also, we proposed a novel concept of slot-PhCS which enhanced the energy density 20 times compared to traditional PhCS. It combines both advantages of the slot waveguide and photonic crystal to localize the high energy density in the low index material. This property could increase the interaction between light and material embedded with nanoparticles like quantum dots for active device development. We also demonstrated a wide range bandgap based on a one dimensional waveguide distributed Bragg reflector with high coupling to optical waveguides enabling it to be easily integrated with other optical components on the chip. A flexible polymer (SU8) grating waveguide is proposed as a force sensor. The proposed sensor can monitor nN range forces through its spectral shift. Finally, quantum dot - doped SU8 polymer structures are demonstrated by optimizing spin coating and UV exposure. Clear patterns with high emission spectra proved the compatibility of the fabrication process for applications in optical amplification and lasing.

Wavelength converters based on four-wave mixing in semiconductor optical amplifiers for advanced modulation formats

Les convertisseurs de longueur d’onde sont essentiels pour la réalisation de réseaux de communications optiques à routage en longueur d’onde. Dans la littérature, les convertisseurs de longueur d’onde basés sur le mélange à quatre ondes dans les amplificateurs optiques à semi-conducteur constituent une solution extrêmement intéressante, et ce, en raison de leurs nombreuses caractéristiques nécessaires à l’implémentation de tels réseaux de communications. Avec l’émergence des systèmes commerciaux de détection cohérente, ainsi qu’avec les récentes avancées dans le domaine du traitement de signal numérique, il est impératif d’évaluer la performance des convertisseurs de longueur d’onde, et ce, dans le contexte des formats de modulation avancés. Les objectifs de cette thèse sont : 1) d’étudier la faisabilité des convertisseurs de longueur d’onde basés sur le mélange à quatre ondes dans les amplificateurs optiques à semi-conducteur pour les formats de modulation avancés et 2) de proposer une technique basée sur le traitement de signal numérique afin d’améliorer leur performance. En premier lieu, une étude expérimentale de la conversion de longueur d’onde de formats de modulation d’amplitude en quadrature (quadrature amplitude modulation - QAM) est réalisée. En particulier, la conversion de longueur d’onde de signaux 16-QAM à 16 Gbaud et 64-QAM à 5 Gbaud dans un amplificateur optique à semi-conducteur commercial est réalisée sur toute la bande C. Les résultats démontrent qu’en raison des distorsions non-linéaires induites sur le signal converti, le point d’opération optimal du convertisseur de longueur d’onde est différent de celui obtenu lors de la conversion de longueur d’onde de formats de modulation en intensité. En effet, dans le contexte des formats de modulation avancés, c’est le compromis entre la puissance du signal converti et les non-linéarités induites qui détermine le point d’opération optimal du convertisseur de longueur d’onde. Les récepteurs cohérents permettent l’utilisation de techniques de traitement de signal numérique afin de compenser la détérioration du signal transmis suite à sa détection. Afin de mettre à profit les nouvelles possibilités offertes par le traitement de signal numérique, une technique numérique de post-compensation des distorsions induites sur le signal converti, basée sur une analyse petit-signal des équations gouvernant la dynamique du gain à l’intérieur des amplificateurs optiques à semi-conducteur, est développée. L’efficacité de cette technique est démontrée à l’aide de simulations numériques et de mesures expérimentales de conversion de longueur d’onde de signaux 16-QAM à 10 Gbaud et 64-QAM à 5 Gbaud. Cette méthode permet d’améliorer de façon significative les performances du convertisseur de longueur d’onde, et ce, principalement pour les formats de modulation avancés d’ordre supérieur tel que 64-QAM. Finalement, une étude expérimentale exhaustive de la technique de post-compensation des distorsions induites sur le signal converti est effectuée pour des signaux 64-QAM. Les résultats démontrent que, même en présence d’un signal à bruité à l’entrée du convertisseur de longueur d’onde, la technique proposée améliore toujours la qualité du signal reçu. De plus, une étude du point d’opération optimal du convertisseur de longueur d’onde est effectuée et démontre que celui-ci varie en fonction des pertes optiques suivant la conversion de longueur d’onde. Dans un réseau de communication optique à routage en longueur d’onde, le signal est susceptible de passer par plusieurs étages de conversion de longueur d’onde. Pour cette raison, l’efficacité de la technique de post-compensation est démontrée, et ce pour la première fois dans la littérature, pour deux étages successifs de conversion de longueur d’onde de signaux 64-QAM à 5 Gbaud. Les résultats de cette thèse montrent que les convertisseurs de longueur d’ondes basés sur le mélange à quatre ondes dans les amplificateurs optiques à semi-conducteur, utilisés en conjonction avec des techniques de traitement de signal numérique, constituent une technologie extrêmement prometteuse pour les réseaux de communications optiques modernes à routage en longueur d’onde.

Direct Write Fabrication of Waveguides and Interconnects for Optical Printed Wiring Boards

Current copper based circuit technology is becoming a limiting factor in high speed data transfer applications as processors are improving at a faster rate than are developments to increase on board data transfer. One solution is to utilize optical waveguide technology to overcome these bandwidth and loss restrictions. The use of this technology virtually eliminates the heat and cross-talk loss seen in copper circuitry, while also operating at a higher bandwidth. Transitioning current fabrication techniques from small scale laboratory environments to large scale manufacturing presents significant challenges. Optical-to-electrical connections and out-of-plane coupling are significant hurdles in the advancement of optical interconnects. The main goals of this research are the development of direct write material deposition and patterning tools for the fabrication of waveguide systems on large substrates, and the development of out-of-plane coupler components compatible with standard fiber optic cabling. Combining these elements with standard printed circuit boards allows for the fabrication of fully functional optical-electrical-printed-wiring-boards (OEPWBs). A direct dispense tool was designed, assembled, and characterized for the repeatable dispensing of blanket waveguide layers over a range of thicknesses (25-225 µm), eliminating waste material and affording the ability to utilize large substrates. This tool was used to directly dispense multimode waveguide cores which required no UV definition or development. These cores had circular cross sections and were comparable in optical performance to lithographically fabricated square waveguides. Laser direct writing is a non-contact process that allows for the dynamic UV patterning of waveguide material on large substrates, eliminating the need for high resolution masks. A laser direct write tool was designed, assembled, and characterized for direct write patterning waveguides that were comparable in quality to those produced using standard lithographic practices (0.047 dB/cm loss for laser written waveguides compared to 0.043 dB/cm for lithographic waveguides). Straight waveguides, and waveguide turns were patterned at multimode and single mode sizes, and the process was characterized and documented. Support structures such as angled reflectors and vertical posts were produced, showing the versatility of the laser direct write tool. Commercially available components were implanted into the optical layer for out-of-plane routing of the optical signals. These devices featured spherical lenses on the input and output sides of a total internal reflection (TIR) mirror, as well as alignment pins compatible with standard MT design. Fully functional OEPWBs were fabricated featuring input and output out-of-plane optical signal routing with total optical losses not exceeding 10 dB. These prototypes survived thermal cycling (-40°C to 85°C) and humidity exposure (95±4% humidity), showing minimal degradation in optical performance. Operational failure occurred after environmental aging life testing at 110°C for 216 hours.

Study of phase transition in (Pb,Ba)TiO(3) thin films

Dielectric and Raman scattering experiments were performed on polycrystalline Pb(1-x)Ba(x)TiO(3) thin films (x=0.40 and 0.60) as a function of temperature. The dielectric study on single phase compositions revealed that a diffuse-type phase transition occurred upon transformation of the cubic paraelectric to the tetragonal ferroelectric phase in all thin films, which showed a broadening of the dielectric peak. Diffusivity was found to increase with increasing barium contents in the composition range under study. In addition, the temperature dependence of Raman scattering spectra was investigated through the ferroelectric phase transition. The temperature dependence of the phonon frequencies was used to characterize the phase transitions. Raman modes persisted above the tetragonal to cubic phase transition temperature, although all optical modes should be Raman inactive. The origin of these modes was interpreted as a breakdown of the local cubic symmetry by chemical disorder. The lack of a well-defined transition temperature and the presence of broadbands in some temperature intervals above the paraferroelectric phase transition temperature suggest a diffuse-type phase transition. (C) 2008 American Institute of Physics.

FWM Constraints Management for Lightpath Establishment in GMPLS Networks

In all-optical networks, management of physical layer restrictions should collaborate in lightpath establishment. Label-Switched Path validation in Generalized MultiProtocol Label Switching on Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexing network requires the treatment of the physical impairment-related parameters along the provisioned route. In this paper we propose, for the first time in our view, the generation of an optical layer database by simulation that specifically characterizes the dynamic FWM impairments for the lightpaths provisioned in a GMPLS/DWDM network.

Parametric signal regeneration

We present an ultra-high bandwidth all-optical digital signal regeneration device concept utilising non-degenerate parametric interaction in a one-dimensional waveguide. Performance is analysed in terms of re-amplification, re-timing, and re-shaping (including centre frequency correction) of time domain multiplexed signals. Bandwidths of 10-100 THz are achievable. (C) 2001 Published by Elsevier Science B.V.

Two-link approximation schemes for loss networks with linear structure and trunk reservation

Loss networks have long been used to model various types of telecommunication network, including circuit-switched networks. Such networks often use admission controls, such as trunk reservation, to optimize revenue or stabilize the behaviour of the network. Unfortunately, an exact analysis of such networks is not usually possible, and reduced-load approximations such as the Erlang Fixed Point (EFP) approximation have been widely used. The performance of these approximations is typically very good for networks without controls, under several regimes. There is evidence, however, that in networks with controls, these approximations will in general perform less well. We propose an extension to the EFP approximation that gives marked improvement for a simple ring-shaped network with trunk reservation. It is based on the idea of considering pairs of links together, thus making greater allowance for dependencies between neighbouring links than does the EFP approximation, which only considers links in isolation.

Error control on spectral data of four-wave mixing based on a-SiC technology

In this paper we exploit the nonlinear property of the SiC multilayer devices to design an optical processor for error detection that enables reliable delivery of spectral data of four-wave mixing over unreliable communication channels. The SiC optical processor is realized by using double pin/pin a-SiC:H photodetector with front and back biased optical gating elements. Visible pulsed signals are transmitted together at different bit sequences. The combined optical signal is analyzed. Data show that the background acts as selector that picks one or more states by splitting portions of the input multi optical signals across the front and back photodiodes. Boolean operations such as EXOR and three bit addition are demonstrated optically, showing that when one or all of the inputs are present, the system will behave as an XOR gate representing the SUM. When two or three inputs are on, the system acts as AND gate indicating the present of the CARRY bit. Additional parity logic operations are performed using four incoming pulsed communication channels that are transmitted and checked for errors together. As a simple example of this approach, we describe an all-optical processor for error detection and then provide an experimental demonstration of this idea. (C) 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.