All-optical sampling and magnification based on XPM-induced focusing

J Nuño (1) , M Gilles (1) , M Guasoni (1) , Christophe Finot (1) , Julien Fatome (1)

1 ICB - Laboratoire Interdisciplinaire Carnot de Bourgogne

We theoretically and experimentally investigate the design of an all-optical noiseless magnification and sampling function free from any active gain medium and associated high-power continuous wave pump source. The proposed technique is based on the co-propagation of an arbitrary shaped signal together with an orthogonally polarized intense fast sinusoidal beating within a normally dispersive optical fiber. Basically, the strong nonlinear phase shift induced by the sinusoidal pump beam on the orthogonal weak signal through cross-phase modulation turns the defocusing regime into localized temporal focusing effects. This periodic focusing is then responsible for the generation of a high-repetition-rate temporal comb upon the incident signal whose amplitude is directly proportional to its initial shape. This internal redistribution of energy leads to a simultaneous sampling and magnification of the signal intensity profile. This process allows us to experimentally demonstrate a 40-GHz sampling operation as well as an 8-dB magnification of an arbitrary shaped nanosecond signal around 1550 nm in a 5-km long normally dispersive fiber. The experimental observations are in quantitative agreement with numerical and theoretical analysis.

Domaines: Optique [physics.optics]

J Nuño, M Gilles, M Guasoni, Christophe Finot, Julien Fatome. All-optical sampling and magnification based on XPM-induced focusing. Optics Express, 2016, 24 (22), pp.24921-24929. ⟨10.1364/OE.24.024921⟩. ⟨hal-01348463⟩