Simple guidelines to predict self-phase modulation patterns

Christophe Finot (1) , Frédéric Chaussard (1) , Sonia Boscolo (2)

1 ICB - Laboratoire Interdisciplinaire Carnot de Bourgogne
2 Photonics Research Group, Aston University

We present a simple approach to predict the main features of optical spectra affected by self-phase modulation (SPM), which is based on regarding the spectrum modification as an interference effect. A two-wave interference model is found sufficient to describe the SPM-broadened spectra of initially transform-limited or up-chirped pulses, whereas a third wave should be included in the model for initially down-chirped pulses. Simple analytical formulae are derived, which accurately predict the positions of the outermost peaks of the spectra.

Domaines: Optique [physics.optics]

Christophe Finot, Frédéric Chaussard, Sonia Boscolo. Simple guidelines to predict self-phase modulation patterns. Journal of the Optical Society of America B, 2018, 35 (12), pp.3143-3152. ⟨10.1364/JOSAB.35.003143⟩. ⟨hal-01856994⟩