Observation of a Group of Dark Rogue Waves in a Telecommunication Optical Fiber

Over the past decade, the rogue wave debate has stimulated the comparison of predictions and observations among different branches of wave physics, particularly between hydrodynamics and optics, in situations where analogous dynamical behaviors can be identified, thanks to the use of common universal models. Although the scalar nonlinear Schroedinger equation (NLSE) has constantly played a central role for rogue wave investigations, moving beyond the standard NLSE model is relevant and needful for describing more general classes of physical systems and applications. In this direction, the coupled NLSEs are known to play a pivotal role for the understanding of the complex wave dynamics in hydrodynamics and optics. Benefiting from the advanced technology of high-speed telecommunication-grade components, and relying on a careful design of the nonlinear propagation of orthogonally-polarized optical pump waves in a randomly birefringent telecom fiber, this work explores, both theoretically and experimentally, the rogue wave dynamics governed by such coupled NLSEs. We report, for the first time, the evidence of a group of three dark rogue waves, the so-called dark three-sister rogue waves, where experiments, numerics, and analytics show a very good consistency

Polarization modulation instability in a Manakov fiber system

The Manakov model is the simplest multicomponent model of nonlinear wave theory: It describes elementary stable soliton propagation and multisoliton solutions, and it applies to nonlinear optics, hydrodynamics, and Bose-Einstein condensates. It is also of fundamental interest as an asymptotic model in the context of the widely used wavelength-division-multiplexed optical fiber transmission systems. However, although its physical relevance was confirmed by the experimental observation of Manakov (vector) solitons in a planar waveguide in 1996, there have in fact been no quantitative experiments confirming its validity for nonlinear dynamics other than soliton formation. Here, we report experiments in optical fiber that provide evidence of passband and baseband polarization modulation instabilities in a defocusing Manakov system. In the spontaneous regime, we also reveal a unique saturation effect as the pump power increases. We anticipate that such observations may impact the application of this minimal model to describe and understand more complicated phenomena in nature, such as the formation of extreme waves in multicomponent systems

Collision of Akhmediev Breathers in Nonlinear Fiber Optics

We report here a novel fiber-based test bed using tailored spectral shaping of an optical-frequency comb to excite the formation of two Akhmediev breathers that collide during propagation. We have found specific initial conditions by controlling the phase and velocity differences between breathers that lead, with certainty, to their efficient collision and the appearance of a giant-amplitude wave. Temporal and spectral characteristics of the collision dynamics are in agreement with the corresponding analytical solution. We anticipate that experimental evidence of breather-collision dynamics is of fundamental importance in the understanding of extreme ocean waves and in other disciplines driven by the continuous nonlinear Schrödinger equation

Observation of Manakov polarization modulation instability in the normal dispersion regime of randomly birefringent telecom optical fiber

We present the first experimental observation of cross-polarization modulation activated modulation instability in the normal dispersion regime of a randomly birefringent telecom optical fiber. The instability is induced by two wavelength-division-multiplexed and orthogonally polarized pumps

Observation of Manakov polarization modulation instability in the normal dispersion regime of randomly birefringent telecom optical fiber

We present the first experimental observation of cross-polarization modulation activated modulation instability in the normal dispersion regime of a randomly birefringent telecom optical fiber. The instability is induced by two wavelength-division-multiplexed and orthogonally polarized pumps

Manakov Polarization Modulation Instability in Normal Dispersion Optical Fiber

We observed polarization modulation instability in the normal dispersion regime of randomly birefringent multi-km telecom optical fiber. The instability is pumped by two wavelength multiplexed and orthogonally polarized intense continuous lasers

Manakov polarization modulation instability in normal dispersion optical fiber

We observed polarization modulation instability in the normal dispersion regime of randomly birefringent multi-km telecom optical fiber. The instability is pumped by two wavelength multiplexed and orthogonally polarized intense continuous lasers