Surface-Impedance Formulation for Hollow-Core Waveguides Based on Subwavelength Gratings
A rigorous Surface Impedance (SI) formulation for planar waveguides is presented. This modal technique splits the modal analysis of the waveguide in two steps. First, we obtain the modes characteristic equations as a function of the SI and, second, we need to obtain the surface impedance values using either analytical or numerical methods. We validate the technique by comparison with well-known analytical cases: the parallel-plate waveguide with losses and the dielectric slab waveguide. Then, we analyze an optical hollow-core waveguide de ned by two high-contrast subwavelength gratings validating our results by comparison with reported values. Finally, we show the potential of our formulati…
Application of WGM Resonances to the Measurement of the Temperature Increment of Ho and Ho-Yb Doped Optical Fibers Pumped at 1125 and 975 nm
Optical fiber characterization using whispering gallery mode resonances of the fiber itself has been demonstrated to be a powerful technique. In this work, we exploit the thermal sensitivity of whispering gallery mode resonances to characterize the pump-induced temperature increment in holmium doped and holmium-ytterbium codoped optical fibers. The technique relies on the measurement of the resonances’ wavelength shift due to temperature variation as a function of the pump power. Holmium doped fibers were pumped to the second excited level 5I6 of the Ho3+ ion using a laser diode at 1125 nm and ytterbium-holmium codoped fibers to the 2F5/2 level of the Yb3+ ion by a laser diode at 975 nm. Ou…
Photonic processing of microwave signals
In this paper, recent advances in the implementation of photonic tuneable transversal filters for RF signal processing developed by the Optical Communications Group are described. After a brief introduction to the field and the basic concepts, limiting factors and application of these filters are described in the field. This is based on a distinction between filters based on wavelength tuneable optical taps and others based on the tuneability of the dispersive elements that provide the time delay between samples. Recently developed approaches have also been discussed.
Advanced Optical Processing of Microwave Signals
The authors present a review on the recent approaches proposed to implement transversal RF filters. Different tunable transversal filters consisting of wavelength tunable optical taps and those employing the tunability of dispersive devices are presented showing their high-performance characteristics. A comprehensive review of the fundamentals and a discussion on the main limitation of these structures are also included.
Noise fiber lasers
In this paper, we present a brief review of the noise operation mode of fiber lasers. These lasers were studied recently by collaborative group that includes researchers, professors, and Ph.D. students from the Centro de Investigaciones en Optica, A.C. (Leon, Guanajuato, Mexico) and from the Universidad de Valencia (Valencia, Spain). Meanwhile, the pioneer works in this topic important for understanding the physics behind fiber lasers’ operation and for practical applications were done with the active participation of Dr. Evgeny Kuzin from the Instituto Nacional de Astrofisica, Optica y Electronica (Puebla, Mexico) and Dr. Georgina Beltrán-Pérez from the Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de P…
Time-domain fiber laser hydrogen sensor.
We report a novel scheme for a fiber-optic hydrogen sensor based on an erbium-doped fiber laser with a palladium-coated tapered fiber within the laser cavity. The tapered fiber acts as a hydrogen-sensing element. When the sensing element is exposed to a hydrogen atmosphere, its attenuation decreases, changing the cavity losses and leading to a modification of the laser transient. The hydrogen concentration is obtained by simple measurement of the buildup time of the laser. This technique translates the measurement of hydrogen concentration into the time domain, and it can be extended to many intensity-based fiber sensors. Relative variations in the buildup time of up to 55% at an increase o…
Linearly polarized all-fiber laser using a short section of highly polarizing microstructured fiber
A linearly polarized all-fiber erbium laser is presented in this work. The polarization selective element consists on a piece of a single-mode, polarizing microstructured fiber, which is placed within the laser cavity. The microstructured fiber shows a regular lattice of air-holes, in which four holes next to the core were enlarged. This fiber shows a polarization dependent loss of 16 dB/m around 1550 nm. The laser cavity presents different losses for each polarization and, as a consequence, a highly polarized emission is obtained. The polarization ratio of the emitted power was in excess of 20 dB.
Q -switched and modelocked all-fiber lasers based on advanced acousto-optic devices
The interest in all-fiber lasers is stimulated by the inherent advantages they have over bulk lasers in aspects such as heat dissipation and robustness. The performance of Q-switched and modelocked fiber lasers can benefit enormously from the development of all-fiber configurations. A fiber laser with strictly all-fiber components can fulfil the requirements of mechanical stability, low maintenance, enhanced power efficiency, simplified assembly process, and low cost. In this framework, recent developments infiber acousto-optic devices are reviewed that have demonstrated new possibilities for actively Q-switched distributed feedback fiber lasers, modelocking lasers and doubly active Q-switc…
Broadband Tuning of Four-Wave Mixing Bands Using Photonic Crystal Fibers
We present an experimental study of the shift with temperature of widely-spaced FWM parametric bands generated in an ethanol-inflltrated photonic crystal fiber. We report broadband tuning of 175 nm and over 500 nm for the signal and idler bands, respectively, achieved through the thermo-optic effect. Numerical calculations were carried out and show good agreement with experimental data.
Nonlinearity measurement undergoing dispersion and loss
Accurate knowledge of the nonlinear coefficient is extremely important to make reliable predictions about optical pulses propagating along waveguides. Nevertheless, determining this parameter when dispersion and loss are as important as nonlinear effects brings both theoretical and experimental challenges that have not yet been solved. A general method for measuring the nonlinear coefficient of waveguides under these demanding conditions is here derived and demonstrated experimentally in a kilometer-long standard silica fiber pumped close to 2 µm.
Induced attenuation in Ce3+ and Nd3+ doped fibers irradiated with electron beams under low dose regime
Abstract In this paper, we study the feasibility of rare earth doped optical fibers as dosimeters based on the attenuation induced by electron beams under standard conditions in radiotherapy. Neodymium and cerium doped fibers have been irradiated with 10 MeV electrons, the radiation-induced loss and the dynamic response have been measured in the wavelength range 1200–1600 nm. The sensitivity of the fibers is of the order of 0.1 (dB/m)/Gy and has a linear dependence on the dose.
An optical pulse modulator based on an all-fiber mirror
Dynamic Characterization of Upconversion in Highly Er-Doped Silica Photonic Crystal Fibers
Measurements of time evolution of amplified spontaneous emission for square-wave modulated pump were made on a highly erbium-doped silica photonic crystal fiber and fitted to theoretical results calculated using different formalisms to describe the ${\rm Er}^{3+}$ -ion migration-assisted co-operative upconversion mechanism in the population densities rate equations. The determined characterization parameters are the constant homogeneous upconversion coefficient, 3.0 $\times 10^{-24}~{\rm m}^{3}/{\rm s}$ , the critical radii for upconversion and migration, 10.5 and 14A, respectively, and the rate of clustered ions, 14%. These parameters are analysed and compared to those obtained with contin…
Dynamic path length changes in all-fiber mirrors: Transmission modulation
Abstract In this paper, we present a technique to modulate the transmission of an all-fiber mirror. This technique is based on the phase modulation of the light in the fiber loop, combined with the time delay between the clockwise and anticlockwise propagating beams. Using Jones calculus, a theoretical analysis has been carried out to describe the effects of static polarization changes and a dynamic phase modulation. An experimental all-fiber optical mirror has been constructed, and using a 1–MHz piezoelectric disc as the phase modulator, we demonstrate that it is possible to achieve either a 1–MHz or 2–MHz transmission modulation by adjusting the polarization state.
Single-frequency active Q-switched Distributed Fiber Laser Using Acoustic Waves
This letter presents a single mode, actively Q-switched distributed feedback fiber laser. Acoustic pulses are launched into an erbium-doped fiber Bragg grating, resulting in the introduction of a traveling defect. Thus, a transmission peak appears in the reflection band while the pulse travels along the grating. This effect allows the laser to operate in a Q-switched regime, providing optical pulses which repetition rate was continuously tuned up to 10 kHz. Pulses of 168 mW of peak power and 73 ns of temporal width were obtained at low repetition rate.
A frequency-output fiber optic voltage sensor with temperature compensation for power systems
Abstract We present a frequency-output fiber optic voltage sensor for power systems with temperature compensated response. The sensor employs PZT-type ceramic tubes, which are interrogated by a length of single-mode fiber coiled onto the tubes and a Mach–Zehnder interferometer. The combination of piezoelectric tubes with properties exhibiting opposite behavior to temperature changes is successfully exploited to passively compensate the temperature sensitivity of the sensor. The prototype reported here exhibits a resolution of 13 mV rms and the deviations of the sensor’s response due to temperature changes are within 1% over the temperature range between −30 and 70 °C. The device presented h…
Tunable dual-wavelength operation of an all- fiber thulium-doped fiber laser based on tunable fiber Bragg gratings
Tunable dual-wavelength emission of a Tm-doped fiber laser based on two fiber Bragg gratings (FBGs) is experimentally demonstrated. By using two FBGs with central wavelengths at 2069.30 and 2069.44 nm, stable dual-wavelength laser generation in the 2 ?m wavelength region is achieved by adjusting the differential loss of the two wavelengths in the laser cavity. Strain applied on the FBG allows independent tuning of the simultaneously generated wavelengths with separation between the laser lines in a range from 0.54 to 9 nm. The laser has output power fluctuations less than 0.093% for an output power of 77.3 mW.
Mode cleaning in graphene oxide-doped polymeric whispering gallery mode microresonators
The strategy to incorporate graphene oxide (GO) in a composite material offers significant opportunities to realize compact photonic devices, such as saturable absorbers and polarization selective devices. However, the processing of GO-based composites by direct laser writing, which would afford vast patterning and material flexibility in a single step process, has been little addressed. In this work, we investigated the mechanisms underlying a mode cleaning effect in polymeric whispering gallery mode microresonators containing GO, aiming at the development of on-chip integrable photonic devices. We fabricated the microresonators (cavity loaded Q-factor of 20 000 at 1550 nm) in a single ste…
Supercontinuum generation at 800 nm in all-normal dispersion photonic crystal fiber
We have numerically investigated the supercontinuum generation and pulse compression in a specially designed all-normal dispersion photonic crystal fiber with a flat-top dispersion curve, pumped by typical pulses from state of the art Ti:Sapphire lasers at 800 nm. The optimal combination of pump pulse parameters for a given fiber was found, which provides a wide octave-spanning spectrum with superb spectral flatness (a drop in spectral intensity of ~1.7 dB). With regard to the pulse compression for these spectra, multiple-cycle pulses (~8 fs) can be obtained with the use of a simple quadratic compressor and nearly single-cycle pulses (3.3 fs) can be obtained with the application of full pha…
Oligonucleotide-Hybridization Fiber-Optic Biosensor using a Narrow Bandwidth Long Period Grating
Nanometric narrowband Long Period Gratings (LPG) are investigated for the implementation of improved fiber optic biosensors. The reduction of more than one order of magnitude in the linewidth of the LPG with respect standard LPG at 1500 nm, leads to the improvement of the resolution of the sensor. By selecting the proper fabrication parameters (high numerical aperture, relatively high order mode and large length), LPGs with a 3-dB bandwidth of 1.5 nm were fabricated. The sensitivity of the LPG as a refractometer was calculated, and experimentally characterized in detail. In particular, the LP0,17 and LP0,18 resonances were investigated, in order to select the most suitable one for the bioex…
Fabrication of Optical Fiber Devices
In this paper we present the main research activities of the Laboratorio de Fibras Opticas del Instituto de Ciencia de los Materiales de la Universidad de Valencia. We show some of the main results obtained for devices based on tapered fibers, fiber Bragg gratings, acousto-optic effects and photonic crystal fibers.
Photonic-crystal fiber-based pressure sensor for dual environment monitoring.
In this paper the development of a side-hole photonic-crystal fiber (SH-PCF) pressure sensor for dual environment monitoring is reported. SH-PCF properties (phase and group birefringence, sensitivity to pressure variations) are measured and compared to simulated data. In order to probe two environments, two sections of the SH-PCF with different lengths are spliced and set in a Solc filter-like configuration. This setup allows obtaining the individual responses of the first and second fiber independently, which is useful for a space-multiplexed measurement. As the employed fiber is sensitive to pressure variations, we report the use of this configuration for dual environment pressure sensing.
Parametrical Optomechanical Oscillations in PhoXonic Whispering Gallery Mode Resonators
AbstractWe report on the experimental and theoretical analysis of parametrical optomechanical oscillations in hollow spherical phoxonic whispering gallery mode resonators due to radiation pressure. The optically excited acoustic eigenmodes of the phoxonic cavity oscillate regeneratively leading to parametric oscillation instabilities.
Intensity-Modulated Optical Fiber Sensor for AC Magnetic Field Detection
An erbium-doped (Er3+) fiber optic laser is proposed for sensing alternated magnetic fields by measuring the laser intensity modulation. The sensor is fabricated using two partially overlapped narrow-band fiber Bragg gratings (FBGs) and a section of doped fiber in a Fabry–Perot configuration. Laser power stability and bandwidth are studied while changing the overlap. A bulk rod of TbDyFe, a magnetostrictive material, is glued to both the FBGs and the laser wavelength and power are modulated according to the magnetic field. Acquisition and processing are done using virtual instrumentation. Results have shown the possibility of detecting 11.18 $\mu \text{T}_{\mathrm {{rms}}}/\surd $ Hz for an…
Water vapor sensors based on the swelling of relief gelatin gratings
We report on a novel device to measure relative humidity. The sensor is based on surface diffraction gratings made of gelatin. This material swells and shrinks according to the content of water vapor in air. By sending a light beam to the grating, diffracted orders appear. Due to the gelatin swelling or shrinking, first order intensity changes according to the relative humidity. Calibration curves relating intensity versus relative humidity have been found. The fabrication process of diffraction gratings and the testing of the prototype sensing devices are described.
All-Fiber Laser With Intracavity Acousto-Optic Dynamic Mode Converter for Efficient Generation of Radially Polarized Cylindrical Vector Beams
We report an all-fiber laser that emits a radially polarized cylindrical vector beam (CVB) at 1 μm based on an intracavity acousto-optic mode converter. We efficiently generate the CVB, taking advantage of the acousto-optic coupling from the HE11 mode to the TM01 mode in a two-mode fiber. The laser can be switched from emitting a Gaussian-like beam to a radially polarized CVB. Radially polarized CVBs with modal and polarization purities >98% and a maximum power of 65 mW were generated.
Tunable chirped fibre Bragg grating device controlled by variable magnetic fields
A novel dynamic chirping fibre Bragg grating device based on a magnetic field applied to a magnetostrictive transducer capable of tuning its dispersion is presented. Chirping ranges up to 300 ps/nm have been demonstrated, which are suitable for several applications such as tunable transversal filtering and dynamic dispersion compensation.
Experimental Investigation of Fused Biconical Fiber Couplers for Measuring Refractive Index Changes in Aqueous Solutions
A detailed experimental study of a simple and compact fiber optic sensor based on a fused biconical fiber coupler is presented, in which the sensitivity is improved by operating the coupler beyond the first coupling cycle. The sensor is demonstrated to perform high sensitivity measurements of refractive index changes by means of variation of sugar concentration in water. The device is operated to achieve a linear transmission response, allowing a linear relation between the sugar concentration and the output signal. The initial sensitivity was measured as 0.03 units of normalized transmission per unit of sugar concentration (g/100 mL), with a noise detection limit of a sugar concentration o…
Proposal and design of an in-fiber all-optical fractional integrator
Abstract We theoretically and numerically demonstrate that a single fiber Bragg grating – conveniently apodized and of uniform period – operated in reflection can perform an arbitrary-order fractional integration of an input optical waveform. Analytical expressions were found relating the fractional integration order with the apodization profile of the fiber Bragg grating. This simple device shows a good accuracy calculating the fractional time integral of the complex field of arbitrary input optical waveforms.
A Refractive Index Sensor Based on the Resonant Coupling to Cladding Modes in a Fiber Loop
We report an easy-to-build, compact, and low-cost optical fiber refractive index sensor. It consists of a single fiber loop whose transmission spectra exhibit a series of notches produced by the resonant coupling between the fundamental mode and the cladding modes in a uniformly bent fiber. The wavelength of the notches, distributed in a wavelength span from 1,400 to 1,700 nm, can be tuned by adjusting the diameter of the fiber loop and are sensitive to refractive index changes of the external medium. Sensitivities of 170 and 800 nm per refractive index unit for water solutions and for the refractive index interval 1.40-1.442, respectively, are demonstrated. We estimate a long range resolut…
Monitoring the Growth of a Microbubble Generated Photothermally onto an Optical Fiber by Means Fabry-Perot Interferometry.
In the present paper, we show the experimental measurement of the growth of a microbubble created on the tip of a single mode optical fiber, in which zinc nanoparticles were photodeposited on its core by using a single laser source to carry out both the generation of the microbubble by photothermal effect and the monitoring of the microbubble diameter. The photodeposition technique, as well as the formation of the microbubble, was carried out by using a single-mode pigtailed laser diode with emission at a wavelength of 658 nm. The microbubble’s growth was analyzed in the time domain by the analysis of the Fabry–Perot cavity, whose diameter was calculated with the number of interference frin…
Polarization Modulation Instability in All-Normal Dispersion Microstructured Optical Fibers With Quasi-Continuous Pump
We report the experimental observation of the polarization modulation instability (PMI) effect in all-normal dispersion (ANDi) microstructured optical fibers (MOFs) with quasi-continuous pumping. The small unintentional birefringence (~10-5), that any realistic non-polarization maintaining MOF exhibits, contributes to this nonlinear effect. PMI can produce two sidebands whose polarization state is orthogonal to the polarization of the pump. In this work, only one type of PMI process is observed, i.e., when the pump is polarized along the slow axis of the fiber and sidebands are generated in the fast axis mode. This PMI process was studied experimentally in two ANDi fibers with different dis…
Dual-kind Q-switching of erbium fiber laser
Two different regimes of Q-switching in the same implementation of an actively Q-switched erbium-doped fiber laser are demonstrated. Depending on the active fiber length and repetition rate of an intracavity Q-cell (acousto-optic modulator), the laser operates either in the regime of common, rather long and low-power, pulses composed of several sub-pulses or in the one of very short and powerful stimulated Brillouin scattering-induced pulses. The basic physical reason of the laser system to oscillate in one of these two regimes is the existence or absence of CW narrow-line “bad-cavity” lasing in the intervals when the Q-cell is blocked.
A distributed model for continuous-wave erbium-doped fiber laser
Abstract A distributed model of a continuous-wave erbium-doped fiber laser is discussed. The model is based on two contra-propagated traveling laser waves, and includes inhomogeneous pumping, excited state absorption at the pump and the laser wavelengths, amplified spontaneous emission and radial distribution of populations of erbium levels. It is shown that excited state absorption is a main limiting factor to the laser's efficiency. Moreover, consideration of radial distributions of erbium levels' populations in the model reduces laser efficiency and decreases optimal reflection of the laser output coupler. The modeling results are in excellent agreement with the experimental study on the…
Erbium doped optical fiber lasers for magnetic field sensing
In this work two erbium doped optical fiber laser configurations for magnetic field measurement are implemented and compared. The first laser is set-up in a loop configuration and requires only a single FBG (Fiber Bragg Grating), acting as mirror. A second laser employs a simpler linear cavity configuration but requires two FBGs with spectral overlap to form the laser cavity. A bulk magnetostrictive material made of Terfenol-D is attached to the laser FBGs enabling modulation of its operation wavelength by the magnetic field. Moreover, a passive interferometer was developed to demodulate the AC magnetic field information where the corresponding demodulation algorithms were software based. B…
An experimental analysis of self-Q-switching via stimulated Brillouin scattering in an ytterbium doped fiber laser
An experimental study of self-Q-switching (SQS) in an ytterbium doped fiber laser (YDFL) arranged using a twin-core GTWave assembly is reported. The main mechanisms that initiate, amplify, and limit SQS pulses in amplitude are revealed to be stimulated Brillouin and Raman scattering (SBS/SRS) and Yb3+ amplified spontaneous emission. The parameters featuring SQS oscillation in terms of efficiency and stability of pulsing are found to be intra-cavity loss and feedback strength. An analysis of the YDFL SQS regime?s features?pulsing time series, optical and RF spectra, amplitude and timing jitter?is provided for the two experimental situations: (i) when SQS pulsing stochastically intermits with…
Temperature independence of birefringence and group velocity dispersion in photonic crystal fibres
Experimental results are presented for the dependence of the dispersion and the birefringence of a highly birefringent photonic crystal fibre with temperature. It is shown that, unlike conventional optical fibres, where temperature induces stress regions between the different materials present in their structure, photonic crystal fibres exhibit no dependence with temperature of these optical properties owing to the single material nature of their structures.
Sensitivity and mode spectrum of a frequency-output silicon pressure sensor
The vibrational mode spectrum of a silicon vibrating pressure sensor is investigated. Particular attention is given to the analysis of the vibration shapes, quality factors and relative sensitivity of the resonance frequencies as a function of pressure. It is shown that a pressure sensitivity of a few parts per million at one atmosphere can be achieved. Some comments are also made regarding an improved design of the device.
Smart Q-switching for single-pulse generation in an erbium-doped fiber laser
In this paper, we report an active Q-switching of an erbium-doped fiber laser with special modulation functions and novel laser geometry. We experimentally demonstrate that using such a smart Q-switch approach, Q-switch ripple-free pulses with Gaussian-like shape and 17.3 ns width can be easily obtained. The idea behind the smart Q-switch is to suppress one of two laser waves contra-propagating along the fiber cavity, which arises after Q-cell opening, and to eliminate the minor sub-pulses.
Simultaneous temperature and ac-current measurements for high voltage lines using fiber Bragg gratings
We present an optical ac-current sensor, based on a fiber Bragg grating stretched by a magnetostrictive material, which enables a simultaneous measurement of high ac-currents and temperature. The proposed system is appropriated to monitor high voltages lines and can be installed without interrupting the current line, being characterized by an inherent electrical isolation.
Two-core transversally chirped microstructured optical fiber refractive index sensor
We present a sensing architecture consisting of a two-core chirped microstructured optical fiber (MOF) for refractive index sensing of fluids. We show that by introducing a chirp in the hole size, the MOF can be a structure with decoupled cores, forming a Mach-Zehnder interferometer in which the analyte directly modulates the device transmittance by its differential influence on the effective refractive index of each core mode. We show that by filling all fiber holes with analyte, the sensing structure achieves high sensitivity (transmittance changes of 300 per RIU at 1.42) and has the potential for use over a wide range of analyte refractive index.
<title>Tunable chirp in Bragg gratings written in tapered core fibers</title>
In this paper we present a technique to control the chirp of a fiber grating capable to produce positive or negative chirp in a single grating. The device is based ona uniform period grating written in a tapered core fiber, this grating has a positive chirp that can be reduced and removed by subjecting the fiber to mechanical stress, after some stress level the grating chirps to negative values. A chirp range of +/- 4 nm with respect to a central wavelength of 1546 nm has been experimentally achieved.
Tunable Four-wave Mixing Light Source Based on Photonic Crystal Fibers with Variable Chromatic Dispersion
We present a detailed experimental study of fourwave mixing tuning in photonic crystal fibers that were filled either with ethanol or with heavy water. It is demonstrated that wide tuning ranges can be achieved in both cases through the variable chromatic dispersion generated by thermo-optic effect. Tunability of the signal band from 745 nm to 919 nm, and of the idler band from 1260 nm to 1759 nm is demonstrated with a pump at 1064 nm. Numerical calculations were carried out and show good agreement with experimental measurements. We present a detailed experimental study of fourwave mixing tuning in photonic crystal fibers that were filled either with ethanol or with heavy water. It is demon…