Dispersion decreasing fibres for soliton generation and transmission line loss compensation

Abstract

The idea of varying the axial distribution of dispersion along a length of optical fibre as a means of manipulating and controlling the soliton supporting nature of the fibre and thereby the characteristics of soliton pulses propagating through the medium has been around for some while. A number of specific applications have been suggested in particular techniques for bright and dark soliton generation, pulse compression and most notably techniques for high frequency soliton transmission. The experimental realisation of most of these techniques however has been hindered by difficulties in the reliable fabrication of dispersion varying fibres. A technique for the fabrication of such fibres was first developed by workers at General Physics Institute, Moscow. Control of the waveguide dispersion was achieved by active control of fibre diameter during the pull. Fibre lengths of up to 2km were fabricated and successfully used in the first experimental demonstrations of high frequency (>60 GHz) bright soliton generation and pulse compression. Subsequent to these first experimental results a number of other groups have commenced fabrication programs on such fibres, extending the techniques to fibre lengths of 40km. In this presentation we describe our latest achievements in Dispersion Decreasing Fibre (DDF) fabrication and report on two applications of the technology. Firstly, we describe a robust, diode-pumped, 40GHz bright soliton transmitter, and secondly we demonstrate loss compensation in a 38km loss-matched dispersion varying fibre.

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ORCID for D.J. Richardson: orcid.org/0000-0002-7751-1058

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