A 160-Gb/s OTDM demultiplexer based on parametric wavelength exchange

Parametric wavelength exchange (PWE) has been demonstrated as a versatile device in providing different functionalities. In this paper, we will concentrate, numerically and experimentally, on one of these functionalities, namely, all-optical time demultiplexing of 160-Gb/s return-to-zero (RZ) signals based on a pulsed-pump PWE in a 400 m highly nonlinear dispersion-shifted fiber. Experimental results show power penalties < 2.7 dB at bit-error rate of 10-9 for all demultiplexed 10-Gb/s RZ signals. We also derive theoretical expressions for the conversion/residual efficiencies and investigate the impact of pump pulse width and phase mismatch on these efficiencies. Furthermore, the impacts of pulsed-pump wavelength and power level on the characteristics of the switching window are investigated numerically. As a result, the demultiplexer can be easily upgraded to an add-drop multiplexer because of the complete exchange nature of PWE, which is justified by the surviving channels' waveform performance. © 2009 IEEE.published_or_final_versio

Damage signature of fatigued fabric reinforced plastics in the pulsed ultrasonic polar scan

This study investigates the use of both the amplitude and time-of-flight based pulsed ultrasonic polar scan (P-UPS) for the nondestructive detection and evaluation of fatigue damage in fiber reinforced composites. Several thermoplastic carbon fabric reinforced PPS specimens (CETEX), loaded under various fatigue conditions, have been scanned at multiple material spots according to the P-UPS technique in order to extract material degradation in a quantitative way. The P-UPS results indicate that shear dominated fatigued carbon/PPS goes with a reduction of shear properties combined with large fiber distortions. The P-UPS results of the tension-tension fatigued carbon/PPS samples on the other hand reveal a directional degradation of the stiffness properties, reaching a maximum reduction of -12.8% along the loading direction. The P-UPS extracted damage characteristics are fully supported by simulations, conventional destructive tests as well as visual inspection. The results demonstrate the excellent capability of the P-UPS method for nondestructively assessing and quantifying both shear-dominated and tension-tension fatigue damage in fabric reinforced plastics

Nonlinear Frequency-Mixing Photoacoustic Characterisation of a Crack

International audienceA one and two dimensional imaging of a crack by a novel nonlinear frequency-mixing photoacoustic method is presented. Acoustic waves are initiated by a pair of laser beams intensity-modulated at two different frequencies. The first laser beam, intensity modulated at a low frequency fL , generates a thermoelastic wave which modulates the local crack rigidity up to complete closing/opening of the crack, corresponding to crack breathing. The second laser beam, intensity modulated at much higher frequency fH , generates an acoustic wave incident on the breathing crack. The detection of acoustic waves at mixed frequencies fH±nfL ( n=1,2,… ), absent in the excitation frequency spectrum, provides detection of the crack, which can be achieved all-optically. The theory attributes the generation of the frequency-mixed spectral components to the modulation of the acoustic waves reflected/transmitted by the time-varying nonlinear rigidity of the crack. The crack rigidity is modified due to stationary and oscillating components from the laser-induced thermoelastic stresses. The amplitudes of the spectral sidelobes are non-monotonous functions of the increasing thermoelastic loading. Fitting such experimental evolutions with theoretical ones leads to estimating various local parameters of the crack, including its width and rigidity

Dynamic Acousto-Elastic Testing

International audienc