Nonlinear Compression of Besselon Waves for High Repetition-Rate Subpicosecond Pulses Trains

We theoretically and experimentally demonstrate the generation of high-quality low duty-cycle pulse trains at repetition rates of 28 GHz, 56 GHz and 112 GHz. Starting from a continuous wave we benefit from phase modulations in the temporal and spectral domains by applying a sinusoidal profile and a set of well-chosen $pi$ shifts, respectively, to generate a train of modified besselons at doubled repetition rate. With further nonlinear spectral expansion in a normally dispersive fiber followed by dispersion compensation we achieve subpicosecond durations and a duty cycle as low as 0.025 at 28 GHz. Spectral cancelation of one component over two or four enables to further double or quadruple the repetition rate.

A Peregrine soliton-like structure that has nothing to deal with a Peregrine breather

We report on experimental results where a temporal intensity profile presenting some of the main signatures of the Peregrine soliton (PS) is observed. However, the emergence of a highly peaked structure over a continuous background in a normally dispersive fiber cannot be linked to any PS dynamics and is mainly ascribed to the impact of Brillouin backscattering.

Vectorial dispersive shock waves on an incoherent landscape

We study numerically and experimentally the impact of temporal randomness on the formation of analogue optical blast-waves in nonlinear fiber optics. The principle-of-operation is based on a two-components nonlinear interaction occurring between a partially coherent probe wave co-propagating in a normally dispersive optical fiber together with an orthogonally polarized intense short pulse. The cross-polarized interaction induces a dual phase-singularity in the probe profile which leads to the formation of two sharp fronts of opposite velocities. An optical blast-wave is then generated and leads to an expanding rarefication area surrounded by two dispersive shock waves which regularize the shock onto the probe landscape. Here we focus our study on the impact of randomness in the shock formation. In particular, we show that the lack of coherence into the probe wave acts as a strong diffusive term, which is able to hamper or inhibit the shock formation. Our experimental observations are confirmed by numerical predictions based on a system of two incoherently coupled nonlinear Schr{o}dinger Manakov equations.

Temporal Fresnel diffraction induced by phase jumps in linear and nonlinear optical fibres

We analytically and numerically study the temporal intensity pattern emerging from the linear or nonlinear evolutions of a single or double phase jump in an optical fiber. The results are interpreted in terms of interferences of the well-known diffractive patterns of a straight edge, strip and slit and a complete analytical framework is provided in terms of Fresnel integrals for the case of purely dispersive evolution. When Kerr nonlinearity affects the propagation, various coherent nonlinear structures emerge according to the regime of dispersion.

Ultrashort pulse generation from binary temporal phase modulation

We propose and numerically validate an all-optical scheme to generate a train of optical pulses. Modulation of a continuous wave with a periodic binary temporal phase pattern followed by a spectral phase shaping enables us to obtain ultrashort pulse trains. An ideal step phase profile as well as a profile arisen from a bandwidth-limited device are investigated. Analytical guidelines describing pulse trains formation and their characteristics are provided.

Artificial neural networks for nonlinear pulse shaping in optical fibers

We use a supervised machine-learning model based on a neural network to predict the temporal and spectral intensity profiles of the pulses that form upon nonlinear propagation in optical fibers with both normal and anomalous second-order dispersion. We also show that the model is able to retrieve the parameters of the nonlinear propagation from the pulses observed at the output of the fiber. Various initial pulse shapes as well as initially chirped pulses are investigated.

Frequency-swept high-repetition rate optical source

We propose and numerically validate an all-optical scheme to generate optical pulse trains with varying temporal pulse-to-pulse delay and pulse duration. Applying a temporal sinusoidal phase modulation followed by a shaping of the spectral phase enables us to maintain high-quality Gaussian temporal profiles.

Si-rich silicon-nitride waveguides for optical transmissions and towards wavelength conversion around 2 $mu$m

We show that subwavelength silicon-rich nitride waveguides efficiently sustain high-speed transmissions at 2 $mu$m. We report the transmission of a 10 Gbit/s signal over 3.5 cm with negligible power penalty. Parametric conversion in the pulsed pump regime is also demonstrated using the same waveguide structure with an efficiency as high as -18 dB.

Simple guidelines to predict self-phase modulation patterns

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.