Interferometric model for phase analysis in fiber couplers

An interferometric model is proposed to estimate the phase differences in lossless, strongly coupled biconical fiber couplers. This approximate method is simpler than the traditional s-parameter network theory-based analysis technique and minimizes the number of unknowns. The phase difference between the transmitted and coupled light fields is directly related to the field interaction and can be estimated by employing the energy conservation and mode orthogonality principles. The maximum coupling coefficient and dependence of phase difference on coupling conditions can be analyzed for multiport single-mode fiber couplers.     

Borosilicate glasses for fiber optical waveguides

Of the existing optical glasses, pure fused silica is known to have the lowest optical attenuation in the red and near infrared portion of the spectrum where optical communications appears most promising. However, to approach the low attenuations afforded by pure fused silica in a waveguide structure requires that a core of fused silica be clad with a glass of slightly lower index refraction. This paper describes an investigation of the binary borosilicate glass system which has led to the realization of a promising cladding material for pure fused silica core fibers.     

Gas Raman sensing with multi-opened-up suspended core fiber

Gas sensing and fluid-guiding response properties of a suspended core fiber Raman analyzer with side-opened and strut microfluid-guiding array are explored. A Raman sensing model is introduced for effective mode area optimization and normalized intensity overlap enhancement between Raman sensing light and analyte. Calculations predict that there is a trade-off between the overlap and the effective mode area, while the optimal trade-off depends on the refractive index of the background material, core diameter, and strut's thickness. Furthermore, the multi-opened-up structure ensures a fast gases diffusing into/out of each hole for real-time Raman sensing. Simulation results confirm a limited gas sensing response time of less than 6 s could be feasible and, thus, a new approach to real-time gas sensing applications is identified.     

基于氧化石墨烯的干涉型光纤湿度传感器

氧化石墨烯是一种新型二维纳米碳材料,比表面积较大,亲水性突出,折射率随湿度变化显著,可用于高灵敏度的光纤湿度传感.我们提出并实验验证了一种基于氧化石墨烯的干涉型光纤湿度传感器,在保偏光纤与普通单模光纤的两个熔接点处分别采用花生形光纤结构与错位熔接,构建在线型光纤Mach-Zehnder干涉仪,并通过沉积将氧化石墨烯均匀地镀在保偏光纤表面.当环境湿度变化时,氧化石墨烯薄膜吸附或释出水分子,其折射率发生变化,改变包层模的有效折射率,进而导致干涉条纹的强度变化.实验结果表明,在35%~65%RH的测量范围内该传感器具有灵敏度高达0.165dB/%RH的线性响应,因此具有灵敏度高,结构简单的优点.     

Complex Faraday rotation in microstructured magneto-optical fiber waveguides

Magneto-optical glasses are of considerable current interest, primarily for applications in fiber circuitry, optical isolation, all-optical diodes, optical switching and modulation. While the benchmark materials are still crystalline, glasses offer a variety of unique advantages, such as very high rare-earth and heavy-metal solubility and, in principle, the possibility of being produced in fiber form. In comparison to conventional fiber-drawing processes, pressure-assisted melt-filling of microcapillaries or photonic crystal fibers with magneto-optical glasses offers an alternative route to creating complex waveguide architectures from unusual combinations of glasses. For instance, strongly diamagnetic tellurite or chalcogenide glasses with high refractive index can be combined with silica in an all-solid, microstructured waveguide. This promises the implementation of as-yet-unsuitable but strongly active glass candidates as fiber waveguides, for example in photonic crystal fibers.     

Detection of low levels of trichloroethylene vapor with Raman spectrometry

The response of a novel fiber-optic Raman probe to low levels of trichloroethylene (TCE) vapors is characterized. The detection limit of the current probe for TCE vapor is 34 mg/L, and the probe exhibits a fully reversible response. The probe uses an organic-polymer, low-density polyethylene to concentrate TCE vapors in the optical path of the fiber-optic Raman spectrometer. The relative standard deviation for measurement of 677 mg/L of TCE in the vapor is 0.3%.     

Optical fiber probe for biomedical Raman spectroscopy

In vitro experiments have demonstrated the ability of Raman spectroscopy to diagnose a wide variety of diseases. Recent in vivo investigations performed with optical fiber probes were promising but generally limited to easily accessible organs, often requiring relatively long collection times. We have implemented an optical design strategy to utilize system throughput fully by characterizing the Raman distribution from tissue. This scheme optimizes collection efficiency, minimizes noise, and has resulted in small-diameter, highly efficient Raman probes that are capable of collecting high-quality data in 1 s. Performance has been tested through simulations and experiments with tissue models and several in vitro tissue types, demonstrating that this new design can advance Raman spectroscopy as a clinically practical technique.     

Multimodal coherent anti-Stokes Raman spectroscopic imaging with a fiber optical parametric oscillator

We report on multimodal coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (CARS) imaging with a source composed of a femtosecond fiber laser and a photonic crystal fiber (PCF)-based optical parametric oscillator (FOPO). By switching between two PCFs with different zero dispersion wavelengths, a tunable signal beam from the FOPO covering the range from 840 to 930 nm was produced. By combining the femtosecond fiber laser and the FOPO output, simultaneous CARS imaging of a myelin sheath and two-photon excitation fluorescence imaging of a labeled axons in rat spinal cord have been demonstrated at the speed of 20 μs per pixel.     

Efficient numerical method for predicting the polarization-dependent Raman gain in fiber Raman amplifiers

Polarization-dependent gain (PDG) of fiber Raman amplifiers (FRAs) will degrade the performance of optical communication systems. An efficient numerical model is presented to predict PDG quantitatively by substituting the polarization-dependent polarization factor for the constant one in the coupled nonlinear equations usually adopted. The simulation is carried out by estimating the polarization length by use of the average polarization-mode dispersion of the tested fiber; the results, including the Raman gain profile and the fluctuation of the PDG, are highly accordant with the experimental data reported previously. The model can aid in the design of FRAs and in the analysis of system performance.     

色散补偿型分布式光纤喇曼放大器的实验研究

在后向抽运和前向抽运方式下,采用光纤喇曼激光器作为抽运源,对S波段色散补偿型光纤喇曼放大器(FRA)进行了实验研究。在增益和噪声特性方面,后向抽运方式优于前向抽运方式。在后向抽运时,测量了5kmDCF-50kmG652光纤色散补偿型分布式FRA,分布式FRA和分立式FRA等三种FRA增益和噪声光谱特性,色散补偿型分布式FRA的增益和噪声特性均优于分布式FRA和分立式FRA。在后向抽运方式下,5kmDCF-50kmG652光纤色散补偿型分布式FRA的抽运功率增大时,其增益增大,噪声指数减小。在抽运功率为1.0W时,当信号功率为0dBm时,最大开关增益为21.4dB,增益光谱大于10dB的带宽超过50nm,噪声指数小于-0.05dB。在同样抽运条件下,色散补偿型FRA的增益与小信号功率无关。     

Low-loss coupler between fiber and waveguide based on silicon-on-insulator slot waveguides

We propose a novel optical fiber-to-waveguide coupler for integrated optical circuits. The proper materials and structural parameters of the coupler, which is based on a slot waveguide, are carefully analyzed using a full-vectorial three-dimensional mode solver. Because the effective refractive index of the mode in a silicon-on-insulator-based slot waveguide can be extremely close to that of the fiber, a highly efficient fiber-to-waveguide coupling application can be realized. For a TE-like mode, the calculated minimum mismatch loss is approximately 1.8 dB at 1550 nm, and the mode conversion loss can be less than 0.5 dB. The discussion of the present state of the art is also involved. The proposed coupler can be used in chip-to-chip communication.     

Multiwavelength switching of Raman fiber ring laser incorporating composite polarization-maintaining fiber Lyot-Sagnac filter

A multiwavelength switching laser is demonstrated by a precise and fast tuning of a composite Lyot-Sagnac comb filter based on multisegment polarization-maintaining fibers. Broadband multiwavelength output is generated by cascaded Raman Stokes waves between 1.12 and 1.58 microns in a fiber-ring cavity with a wave-division-multiplexed coupler. Theoretical and experimental analysis of stable multiwavelength output operation for various Raman gain fibers and the electro-optic switching and flexible space tuning of interleaved wavebands are performed.     

Performance of two-stage discrete fiber Raman amplifiers with and without all-optical gain clamping

Using numerical simulations, we analyze the properties of two-stage discrete fiber Raman amplifiers without and with all-optical gain clamping. In both cases a two-stage amplifier can be designed to have the same gain characteristics as a single-stage amplifier with improved noise performance by use of either the same total length of gain fiber (but with increased pump power) or total pump power (but with increased total length of gain fiber).     

Fiber Raman background study and its application in setting up optical fiber Raman probes

Fiber Raman background spectra of different types of fused-silica fibers are studied and compared. The results show the following: (a) all the background spectra are very similar and comparable with Raman spectra of fused silica, regardless of the difference in the cladding and buffer materials; (b) the overall background intensity increases with the fiber numerical aperture but has no obvious relation with the core diameter. Both experimental evidence and theoretical explanation have been provided for these views. A simple and unfiltered fiber probe for surface-enhanced Raman scattering detection with low fiber Raman background interference is constructed, and the optimum configuration of the probe is suggested and discussed based on the results of the background study.