Ultra-flat SPM-broadened spectra in a highly nonlinear fiber using parabolic pulses formed in a fiber Bragg grating

Abstract

We propose a new method for generating flat self-phase modulation (SPM)-broadened spectra based on seeding a highly nonlinear fiber (HNLF) with chirp-free parabolic pulses generated using linear pulse shaping in a superstructured fiber Bragg grating (SSFBG). We show that the use of grating reshaped parabolic pulses allows substantially better performance in terms of the extent of SPM-based spectral broadening and flatness relative to conventional hyperbolic secant (sech) pulses. We demonstrate both numerically and experimentally the generation of SPM broadened pulses centred at 1542nm with 92% of the pulse energy remaining within the 29nm 3dB spectral bandwidth. Applications in spectral slicing and pulse compression are demonstrated.

Optics Express (2006) Vol.14(17) pp.7617-7622

Publisher′s URL: http://www.opticsexpress.org/abstract.cfm?id=97650

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