Soliton blue-shift in tapered photonic crystal fiber

We show that solitons undergo a strong blue shift in fibers with a dispersion landscape that varies along the direction of propagation. The experiments are based on a small-core photonic crystal fiber, tapered to have a core diameter that varies continuously along its length, resulting in a zero-dispersion wavelength that moves from 731 nm to 640 nm over the transition. The central wavelength of a soliton translates over 400 nm towards shorter wavelength. This accompanied by strong emission of radiation into the UV and IR spectral region. The experimental results are confirmed by numerical simulation.Comment: 10 pages, 4 figure

Nonlinear wavelength conversion in photonic crystal fibers with three zero dispersion points

In this theoretical study, we show that a simple endlessly single-mode photonic crystal fiber can be designed to yield, not just two, but three zero-dispersion wavelengths. The presence of a third dispersion zero creates a rich phase-matching topology, enabling enhanced control over the spectral locations of the four-wave-mixing and resonant-radiation bands emitted by solitons and short pulses. The greatly enhanced flexibility in the positioning of these bands has applications in wavelength conversion, supercontinuum generation and pair-photon sources for quantum optics

Towards metallic microstructuring in nanocomposite glass

A novel, easy-to-implement, method to create fine optical structures in dielectric metal-doped nanocomposite materials is presented. We believe that our results pave a route towards creation of future optoelectronic elements based on surface-plasmon integrated circuits

Novel aspects of pulse propagation in photonic crystal fibers

We present a review of our recent research on the use of photonic crystal fibers (PCFs) to manipulate the propagation of ultrashort pulses. The combination of a high nonlinear coefficient and unusual wavelength-dependent group-velocity-dispersion "landscapes", together with the ability to taper the properties along the fiber by thermal post-processing, allows observation of many interesting effects. These include generation of THz trains of equidistant sub-50 fs pulses, highly efficient supercontinuum generation from the UV to the IR, soliton collisions and observation for the first time of a soliton blue-shift, counteracting the Raman-related soliton self-frequency shift

Spatiotemporal evolution of femtosecond laser pulses guided in air-clad fused-silica nanoweb

We investigate nonlinear propagation and self-focusing of femtosecond Ti:sapphire laser pulses in an 800-nm-thick silica nanoweb fiber. Different dispersion regimes are accessible by launching TE- or TM-polarized light. Excitation in the anomalous dispersion regime (TM) results in pulse splitting and spectral broadening, which lead to supercontinuum generation, whereas, for normal dispersion (TE, excited close to a zero dispersion wavelength), self-phase modulation causes spectral broadening, which leads at higher power to beam collapse and the creation of a damage track. (C) 2010 Optical Society of Americ

THz Pulse Train Generation in Small Core PCF

A small core photonic crystal fiber is used to demonstrate spectral-temporal reshaping of 110 fs laser pulses and the synthesis of THz trains of equidistant sub 50 fs pulses. The mechanisms behind this phenomenon are investigated