An Ameliorated Phase Generated Carrier Demodulation Algorithm With Low Harmonic Distortion and High Stability

A novel ameliorated phase generated carrier (PGC) demodulation algorithm based on arctangent function and differential-self-multiplying (DSM) is proposed in this paper. The harmonic distortion due to nonlinearity and the stability with light intensity disturbance (LID) are investigated both theoretically and experimentally. The nonlinearity of the PGC demodulation algorithm has been analyzed and an analytical expression of the total-harmonic-distortion (THD) has been derived. Experimental results have confirmed the low harmonic distortion of the ameliorated PGC algorithm as expected by the theoretical analysis. Compared with the traditional PGC-arctan and PGC-DCM algorithm, the ameliorated PGC algorithm has a much lower THD as well as a better signal-to-noise-and-distortion (SINAD). A THD of below 0.1% and a SINAD of 60 dB have been achieved with PGC modulation depth (value) ranges from 1.5 to 3.5 rad. The stability performance with LID has also been studied. The ameliorated PGC algorithm has a much higher stability than the PGC-DCM algorithm. It can keep stable operations with LID depth as large as 26.5 dB and LID frequency as high as 1 kHz. The system employing the ameliorated PGC demodulation algorithm has a minimum detectable phase shift of 5 mu rad/root Hz @ 1 kHz, a large dynamic range of 120 dB @ 100 Hz, and a high linearity of better than 99.99%.

Low-timing-jitter, stretched-pulse passively mode-locked fiber laser with tunable repetition rate and high operation stability

We design a low-timing-jitter, repetition-rate-tunable, stretched-pulse passively mode-locked fiber laser by using a nonlinear amplifying loop mirror (NALM), a semiconductor saturable absorber mirror (SESAM), and a tunable optical delay line in the laser configuration. Low-timing-jitter optical pulses are stably produced when a SESAM and a 0.16 m dispersion compensation fiber are employed in the laser cavity. By inserting a tunable optical delay line between NALM and SESAM, the variable repetition-rate operation of a self-starting, passively mode-locked fiber laser is successfully demonstrated over a range from 49.65 to 50.47 MHz. The experimental results show that the newly designed fiber laser can maintain the mode locking at the pumping power of 160 mW to stably generate periodic optical pulses with width less than 170 fs and timing jitter lower than 75 fs in the 1.55 mu m wavelength region, when the fundamental repetition rate of the laser is continuously tuned between 49.65 and 50.47 MHz. Moreover, this fiber laser has a feature of turn-key operation with high repeatability of its fundamental repetition rate in practice.