Advances in optoelectronics in Europe - the RACE and ESPRIT programmes

Editorial

Highly thermally responsive hybrid in-fiber sSlab waveguide grating structure with a plastic core and a silica cladding

A 1.2(height)×125(depth)×500(length) micro-slot was engraved along a fiber Bragg grating by chemically assisted femtosecond laser processing. By filling epoxy and UV-curing, waveguide with plastic-core and silica-cladding was created, presenting high thermal responding coefficient of 211pm/°C.

Nondestructive index profiling of long period gratings in photonic crystal fibres

A numerical model of a long period grating in photonic crystal fibre fabricated by an electric arc is proposed that allows for the spectral characterisation of the grating. In the combination with the suggested model of the photonic crystal and the experimentally recorded grating growth it is used to find the index change induced by the electric arc.

Multiple period resonances in long period gratings in photonic crystal fibres

In order to characterise long period gratings fabricated in endlessly single mode photonic crystal fibres with bulk cladding we perform eigenanalysis of guided modes supported by these fibres. Resonant coupling occurs only when the beating length equals the multiple grating periods. Experimentally obtained grating spectra and sensitivity are fully explained using modified phase matching condition.

Structure of fiber gratings directly written by infrared femtosecond laser

Structural modification m gratings inscribed point-by-point by a femtosecond laser is investigated using quantitative phase microscopy. The gratings present a central region with a depressed refractive index surrounded by an outer corona with increased index. © 2006 Optical Society of America.

Inscription of a 300-nm-period nanostructure in a pure fused silica

Very recently, using tightly-focused femtosecond near-IR pulses, periodical sub-micron structures have been recorded [1,2]. Such microfabrication utilizes the multi-photon approach, which allows the inscription inside various non-photosensitive optical materials. The combination of multi-photon excitation with the point-by-point technique offers the great potential of creating non-uniform chirped gratings by controlling the rate of femtosecond pulses or the sample translation speed.

Nonlinear diffraction in sub-critical femtosecond inscription

Material processing using high-intensity femtosecond (fs) laser pulses is a fast developing technology holding potential for direct writing of multi-dimensional optical structures in transparent media. In this work we re-examine nonlinear diffraction theory in context of fs laser processing of silica in sub-critical (input power less than the critical power of self-focusing) regime. We have applied well known theory, developed by Vlasov, Petrishev and Talanov, that gives analytical description of the evolution of a root-mean-square beam (not necessarily Gaussian) width RRMS(z) in medium with the Kerr nonlinearity.

Investigation of ultrafast laser-photonic material interactions: Challenges for directly written glass photonics

Currently, direct-write waveguide fabrication is probably the most widely studied application of femtosecond laser micromachining in transparent dielectrics. Devices such as buried waveguides, power splitters, couplers, gratings, and optical amplifiers have all been demonstrated. Waveguide properties depend critically on the sample material properties and writing laser characteristics. In this paper, we discuss the challenges facing researchers using the femtosecond laser direct-write technique with specific emphasis being placed on the suitability of fused silica and phosphate glass as device hosts for different applications.

Characterization of nonlinear absorption in femtosecond laser inscription

Direct measurements of the absorbed energy in femtosecond laser inscription in a range of materials is performed. Key absorption parameters are characterized by fitting numerical modelling to measurements.

Low-loss waveguides in borosilicate glass fabricated by high-repetition-Rate femtosecond chirp-pulsed oscillator

We describe fabrication and characterisation of smooth low-loss waveguides in BK7 optical glass bymeans of direct femtosecond inscription with chirp-pulse oscillator, operating at 800 nm and 11 MHz repetition rate.

Wave chaotic behaviour generated by linear systems

It is shown that regimes with dynamical chaos are inherent not only to nonlinear system but they can be generated by initially linear systems and the requirements for chaotic dynamics and characteristics need further elaboration. Three simplest physical models are considered as examples. In the first, dynamic chaos in the interaction of three linear oscillators is investigated. Analogous process is shown in the second model of electromagnetic wave scattering in a double periodical inhomogeneous medium occupying half-space. The third model is a linear parametric problem for the electromagnetic field in homogeneous dielectric medium which permittivity is modulated in time. © 2008 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC.

Soliton dynamics in transmission through ultralong lasers

We have studied the dynamics and stability of solitonic pulses (including soliton interaction) across URFL transmission links, as well as the dependence of these dynamics on cavity design (length, symmetry, reflectivity) and input pulse characteristics. The first experimental demonstration of long-distance ldquotruerdquo soliton propagation through optical fibre. The results conclude that even relatively long links of the order of 50 km show excellent nonlinear resilience and are capable of providing virtually transparent transmission under a broad range of input pulse characteristics.

42.6Gb/s RZ-ASK transmission over 2500km using quasi-lossless transmission spans

Here, for the first time, we experimentally demonstrate optical data transmission through such quasi-lossless fibre spans, which provide an entirely different nonlinear propagation regime to conventionally EDFA/Raman amplified systems. We demonstrate 42.6 Gb/s transmission over 2500 km of SMF-28 with an 82 km span length, and investigate the optimisation of the system in terms of launch power and nonlinear tolerance. Our results show the first ever data transmission experiment using an ultra-long Raman laser to provide quasi-lossless conditions in the transmission fibre. For a span length of 82 km we have shown 2500 km transmission over SMF-28 fibre at 42.6 Gb/s. Our quasi-lossless configuration had 6 dB lower optimum power and improved nonlinear tolerance compared with a conventional EDFA only system.

Ultra-long raman laser with a feedback based on the Rayleigh scattering

This paper reports the Rayleigh scattering effects in ultra-long Raman fibre laser. It has been found that in a long fibre cavity (-100 km) the distributed feedback due to Rayleigh back scattering at propagation of light between fibre Bragg grating reflectors may be comparable with the lumped feedback provided by the FBG itself. As a result, Raman lasing in the fibre span limited by lumped (FBG) reflector at one side only appears possible due to significant reflection from the RS-based "random" distributed mirror at the other side. Thus, it concludes that a distributed Rayleigh scattering "random" mirror can form a cavity together with a single FBG spliced to the opposite cavity end.