IR Bismuth active centers in optical fibers: Combined excitation-emission spectroscopy

3D excitation-emission luminescence spectra of Bi-doped optical fibers of various compositions were measured in a wide wavelength range 450-1700 nm. Such luminescence spectra were obtained for Bi-doped pure silica and germania fibers, and for Bi-doped Al- or P-codoped silica fibers (at room and liquid nitrogen temperatures). The energy level schemes of IR bismuth active centers in pure silica and germania core fibers were derived from spectra obtained. The energy level schemes similarity of bismuth active centers in these two types of fibers was revealed.Comment: 12pages, 7 figures, 5 table

Optoacoustic solitons in Bragg gratings

Optical gap solitons, which exist due to a balance of nonlinearity and dispersion due to a Bragg grating, can couple to acoustic waves through electrostriction. This gives rise to a new species of ``gap-acoustic'' solitons (GASs), for which we find exact analytic solutions. The GAS consists of an optical pulse similar to the optical gap soliton, dressed by an accompanying phonon pulse. Close to the speed of sound, the phonon component is large. In subsonic (supersonic) solitons, the phonon pulse is a positive (negative) density variation. Coupling to the acoustic field damps the solitons' oscillatory instability, and gives rise to a distinct instability for supersonic solitons, which may make the GAS decelerate and change direction, ultimately making the soliton subsonic.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figure

Ionization-induced asymmetric self-phase modulation and universal modulational instability in gas-filled hollow-core photonic crystal fibers

We study theoretically the propagation of relatively long pulses with ionizing intensities in a hollow-core photonic crystal fiber filled with a Raman-inactive gas. Due to photoionization, previously unknown types of asymmetric self-phase modulation and `universal' modulational instabilities existing in both normal and anomalous dispersion regions appear. We also show that it is possible to spontaneously generate a plasma-induced continuum of blueshifting solitons, opening up new possibilities for pushing supercontinuum generation towards shorter and shorter wavelengths.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figure