Aim of the work was to study, design and verify methods of splicing photonic crystal fibers with standard single-mode and multi-mode fibers. The main goal was to make of the fusion splicer Fujikura FSM 100P splicing process. To create splicing process, various splicing methods were tested. Method of the moving position of the arc discharge from the center of splicing fibers and the method with increased gas pressure in the microstructure were mainly tested. Research revealed the incompatibility of splicing process of the different types of fiber splicers. The main results of the work are optimized methods of the splicing HC 1550-2 fiber and SMF 28 fiber.

Thulium based fiber lasers represent a promising alternative for pulse energy scaling and high peak power generation with ytterbium based systems at 1µm. Advantages of thulium arise from the operation at longer wavelengths and a large gain bandwidth (1.8-2.1µm). Nonlinear effects, such as self phase modulation, stimulated Raman scattering and stimulated Brillouin scattering generally limit peak power scaling in fiber lasers. The longer wavelength of thulium fiber lasers and large mode field areas can significantly increase the nonlinear thresholds. Compared to 1µm systems, thulium fiber lasers enable single mode guidance for two times larger mode field diameter in step index fibers. Similar behavior is expected for index guiding thulium doped photonic crystal fibers. In this work a novel thulium doped rod type photonic crystal fiber design with large mode field diameter ( > 50µm) was first characterized in CW-lasing configuration and then utilized as final amplifier in a two stage master oscillator power amplifier. The system generated MW-level peak power at 6.5ns pulse duration and 1kHz repetition rate. This world record performance exemplifies the potential of thulium fiber lasers to supersede ytterbium based systems for very high peak power generation in the future. As part of this work a computer model for the transient simulation of pulsed amplification in thulium based fiber lasers was developed. The simulations are in good agreement with the experimental results. The computer model can be used for efficient optimization of future thulium based fiber amplifier designs.

No description available.

Doctor of Philosophy / Department of Physics / Kristan L. Corwin / Current portable near-infrared optical frequency references offer modest accuracy and instability compared to laboratory references. Low pressure reference cells are necessary to realize features narrower than the Doppler broadened overtone transitions, and most setups to date have occurred in free-space. Hollow-core photonic crystal fibers offer a potential alternative to free-space setups through their small cores (~10’s of µm) and low-loss guidance. Furthermore, HC-PCF can be made into fiber cells that could be directly integrated into existing telecommunications networks. Efforts were made to fabricate these fiber cells with a low pressure of molecules trapped inside, but this has proven to be quite challenging. Therefore, investigation of these fibers is conducted by placing the ends of the fiber inside vacuum chambers loaded with acetylene (12C2H2). The linewidths of several P branch transitions (near 1.5 µm) are investigated as a function of acetylene pressure and optical pump power in three different HC-PCFs. Frequency modulation spectroscopy is then implemented on the acetylene-filled HC-PCF to generate sub-Doppler dispersion features that are useful for frequency stabilization using standard servo electronics. Instability and accuracy of this near-IR optical reference were then determined by analysis of heterodyne experiments conducted with frequency combs referenced to a GPS-disciplined rubidium oscillator. The instability and accuracy of this HC-PCF reference are within an order of magnitude of free-space experiments, as expected based on the ratio of linewidths observed in the two experiments. Therefore, HC-PCF has been shown to be suitable for potential frequency references. Further work is necessary to fabricate gas fiber cells with high optical transmission and low molecular contamination.

Nesta dissertação, propomos um método que combina a técnica de varredura-Z e a luz branca supercontínua gerada em uma fibra fotônica para caracterizar o espectro de não-linearidades de amostras. O espectro não-linear fornece informações cruciais a respeito da característica, da origem e do potencial da não-linearidade para aplicação em dispositivos. Neste sentido, a luz branca supercontínua aliada à técnica de varredura-Z vem permitir uma rápida determinação de espectros numa banda larga. Neste trabalho, a luz branca foi gerada numa fibra fotônica comercial bombeada por pulsos de femtossegundo de um oscilador laser de Ti:safira. Tanto os lasers de femtosegundo quanto as fibras fotônicas estão se tornando cada vez mais acessíveis. Ademais, a técnica de varredura-Z é um método bastante conhecido para a determinação de não-linearidades devido à sua simplicidade e precisão. Dessa forma, aliamos essas vantagens para fazer um aparato simples, compacto e de baixo custo. Em geral, a determinação do espectro de não-linearidades necessita de sistemas lasers complexos que possam sintonizar o comprimento de onda. O método de varredura-Z de luz branca desenvolvido aqui foi usado para medir o espectro não-linear do corante disperse red 13 (DR13) em metanol. Esse corante possui um efeito não-linear absortivo (absorção saturada) bem caracterizado, sendo um bom material não apenas para calibração, mas também para testar nosso sistema experimental. Os resultados experimentais comprovaram a viabilidade do sistema para caracterização de amostras com efeitos não-lineares absortivos intensos. / In this dissertation, we proposed a method that combines the Z-scan technique and the white-light continuum generated by a photonic crystal fiber to characterize the nonlinear spectrum of materials. The nonlinear spectrum provides crucial information on the characteristic, the origin and the potential of the nonlinearity for devices application. In this sense, the white-light continuum allied to the Z-scan technique allows fast spectra determination in a broad spectral range. In this work, the white light was generated in a commercial photonic crystal fiber pumped by femtosecond pulses from a Ti:sapphire laser oscillator. Both the femtosecond lasers and the photonic crystal fibers are becoming more accessible. In addition, the Z-scan technique is a well-known method for nonlinearities determination due to its simplicity and precision. In this way, we merged these advantages to make a simple, compact and low-cost apparatus for studying nonlinear samples. In general, the nonlinear spectrum determination requires complex laser systems which are able to tune the wavelength. The white-light Z-scan method we developed here was used to measure the nonlinear spectrum of disperse red 13 (DR13) dye in methanol. This dye presents a well-characterized absorcive nonlinear effect (saturable absorption), being a good material not only to calibrate, but also to test our experimental setup. The experimental results confirmed the viability of the setup for characterizing samples with strong nonlinear absorption effect.

Este trabalho de doutoramento propôs investigar novas configurações geométricas para as fibras ópticas microestruturadas a base de sílica. Aproveitando-se da flexibilidade que sua geometria proporciona, diferentes das fibras ópticas convencionais, foram propostas fibras ópticas microestruturadas com perfil tipo D atuando, especificamente, em duas aplicações distintas: fibras compensadoras de dispersão ou fibras altamente birrefringentes. Para o estudo teórico das fibras ópticas microestruturadas foram utilizados dois métodos numéricos: o método da Sobre-Relaxação Sucessiva (SOR) e o método de Arnoldi Implicitamente Reiniciado (IRAM). Foi necessário implementar o método IRAM para determinar os modos de mais alta ordem presentes em guias de onda multimodos, uma vez que o método SOR fornece apenas a solução para o modo fundamental. Neste contexto, as fibras ópticas microestruturadas com perfil D, propostas e investigadas neste trabalho, demonstraram ser extremamente promissoras para atuar na compensação da dispersão cromática ou no aumento do efeito da birrefringência. Foram projetadas fibras capazes de compensar a dispersão em banda larga, cobrindo as bandas de telecomunicações S, C e L, ou, ainda, fibras com um alto coeficiente de dispersão negativo em torno do comprimento de onda de 1550nm. Adicionalmente, verificou-se também que com as novas configurações propostas foi possível projetar fibras com elevado grau de birrefringência, sendo atrativas no projeto de fibras mantedoras do estado de polarização. / This work proposed to investigate new geometric configurations for the silica microstructured optical fibers. Based on their design flexibility, not usually found in conventional silica fibers, D-shape microstructured optical fibers were designed, specifically, for two different applications: dispersion compensation or high birefringence. For the theoretical analysis two numerical methods were used: the finite difference Successive Over Relaxation (SOR) method, and the Implicitly Restarted Arnoldi Method (IRAM). It was necessary to develop the IRAM method to determine the higher order modes inside the multimodo optical waveguide, since the SOR method is able to yield only the fundamental mode. In this framework, the D-shape microstructured optical fibers, which have been proposed and investigated in this work, proved to be extremely efficient for chromatic dispersion compensation and increasing the birefringent effect. Fibers have been designed in order to compensate the wideband dispersion, covering three entire telecommunication bands, namely: S-, C- and L- bands, simultaneously. Additionally, with these new proposed configurations it is possible to design high birefringent fibers, which are very attractive in polarization maintaining applications.

Neste trabalho é investigada uma nova classe de fibras ópticas, baseada no conceito de cristais fotônicos, denominada fibra microestruturada. Sua geometria particular, com materiais de diferentes índices de refração estruturados de forma periódica, permite uma alta flexibilidade de projeto. Consegue-se, portanto, ajustar, conforme a necessidade, as propriedades de dispersão, área efetiva, perdas por confinamento, entre outras, o que torna estas fibras especialmente úteis para aplicações em comunicações ópticas. Para o estudo das propriedades das fibras microestruturadas foi implementado, em diferenças finitas, o método numérico da sobre relaxação sucessiva - SOR com as três aproximações possíveis para a equação de Helmholtz: escalar, semivetorial e vetorial completa. Adicionalmente, no intuito de melhorar alguns aspectos do formalismo SOR, como precisão e velocidade de convergência, foi proposta a aproximação em diferenças finitas de quarta ordem. / This work investigates a new class of optical fibers based on the photonic crystal concept. The main advantage of these fibers is the flexibility offered by their particular geometry, which is formed by materials of different refractive index periodically arranged in a specific pattern. The dispersion properties of these microstructured optical fibers are analyzed by using the finite difference Successive Over Relaxation (SOR) method, where three different formalisms are implemented under the scalar, semivectorial and full vectorial approximations. Finally, a fourth order approximation for the SOR method is proposed in order to improve the convergence and precision.

The dissertation focuses on the analysis and design for the new fiber-optic passive components based on the photonic-crystal-fiber (PCF). The vector boundary element method (VBEM) and the finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) method are employed to the propagation characteristics of PCF components. A novel octagonal microstructured fiber (OMF) with eight air-holes in the first ring has been proposed. The OMF has significantly wider wavelength range for single-mode operation, more circular-like field distribution, and less confinement loss. In addition, a novel compact polarization beam splitter (PBS) based on the twin-elliptical-core PCF (TEC-PCF) has also been proposed. It behaves with high extinction ration and broad bandwidth with significantly short splitter length. The design concept and the coupling mechanism are presented in this dissertation based on the normal-mode coupling theory and VBEM.

Nesta dissertação, propomos um método que combina a técnica de varredura-Z e a luz branca supercontínua gerada em uma fibra fotônica para caracterizar o espectro de não-linearidades de amostras. O espectro não-linear fornece informações cruciais a respeito da característica, da origem e do potencial da não-linearidade para aplicação em dispositivos. Neste sentido, a luz branca supercontínua aliada à técnica de varredura-Z vem permitir uma rápida determinação de espectros numa banda larga. Neste trabalho, a luz branca foi gerada numa fibra fotônica comercial bombeada por pulsos de femtossegundo de um oscilador laser de Ti:safira. Tanto os lasers de femtosegundo quanto as fibras fotônicas estão se tornando cada vez mais acessíveis. Ademais, a técnica de varredura-Z é um método bastante conhecido para a determinação de não-linearidades devido à sua simplicidade e precisão. Dessa forma, aliamos essas vantagens para fazer um aparato simples, compacto e de baixo custo. Em geral, a determinação do espectro de não-linearidades necessita de sistemas lasers complexos que possam sintonizar o comprimento de onda. O método de varredura-Z de luz branca desenvolvido aqui foi usado para medir o espectro não-linear do corante disperse red 13 (DR13) em metanol. Esse corante possui um efeito não-linear absortivo (absorção saturada) bem caracterizado, sendo um bom material não apenas para calibração, mas também para testar nosso sistema experimental. Os resultados experimentais comprovaram a viabilidade do sistema para caracterização de amostras com efeitos não-lineares absortivos intensos. / In this dissertation, we proposed a method that combines the Z-scan technique and the white-light continuum generated by a photonic crystal fiber to characterize the nonlinear spectrum of materials. The nonlinear spectrum provides crucial information on the characteristic, the origin and the potential of the nonlinearity for devices application. In this sense, the white-light continuum allied to the Z-scan technique allows fast spectra determination in a broad spectral range. In this work, the white light was generated in a commercial photonic crystal fiber pumped by femtosecond pulses from a Ti:sapphire laser oscillator. Both the femtosecond lasers and the photonic crystal fibers are becoming more accessible. In addition, the Z-scan technique is a well-known method for nonlinearities determination due to its simplicity and precision. In this way, we merged these advantages to make a simple, compact and low-cost apparatus for studying nonlinear samples. In general, the nonlinear spectrum determination requires complex laser systems which are able to tune the wavelength. The white-light Z-scan method we developed here was used to measure the nonlinear spectrum of disperse red 13 (DR13) dye in methanol. This dye presents a well-characterized absorcive nonlinear effect (saturable absorption), being a good material not only to calibrate, but also to test our experimental setup. The experimental results confirmed the viability of the setup for characterizing samples with strong nonlinear absorption effect.

Neste trabalho, propomos um novo mÃtodo de modulaÃÃo Ãptica usando um filtro acÃstoÃptico sintonizÃvel (AOTF) convencional e um filtro acÃsto-Ãptico com polarizaÃÃo sintonizÃvel (AOTPF) baseado em fibra de cristal fotÃnico (PCF), onde portas lÃgicas Ãpticas E e OU sÃo obtidas pela operaÃÃo simultÃnea da modulaÃÃo em dupla banda lateral Ãptica (ODSB) e da modulaÃÃo por posiÃÃo de pulso no domÃnio da frequÃncia (PPFDM). Estes dispositivos sÃo operados com pulsos sÃlitons ultracurtos de 100 ps e 55,5 fs para o AOTF convencional e para o AOTPF baseado em PCF, respectivamente. Desta forma, um pulso leva dois bits de informaÃÃo apÃs ser criptografado pela modulaÃÃo proposta aqui. Em seguida, analisamos a modulaÃÃo ODSB-PPFDM para os pulsos de entrada, polarizados nos dois modos de entrada, permitindo uma variaÃÃo no parÃmetro de codificaÃÃo εcod para cada pulso de entrada. Para o AOTF convencional, consideramos uma diferenÃa de fase de dfi = pi rad entre ambos os pulsos de entrada. Como resultado, obtivemos vÃrios valores do parÃmetro de codificaÃÃo |εcod| onde as operaÃÃes lÃgicas E e OU foram possÃveis. JÃ para o AOTPF baseado em PCF, consideramos uma diferenÃa de fase de dfi = 1,28pi rad entre ambos os pulsos de entrada para obtermos valores do parÃmetro de codificaÃÃo |εcod| onde as operaÃÃes lÃgicas E e OU foram possÃveis. / We propose a new method of optical modulation using a conventional Acousto-Optic Tunable Filter (AOTF) and an Acoustic Optic Tunable Polarization Filter (AOTPF) based on Photonic Crystal Fiber (PCF). In both devices the all-optical logic gates, namely AND and OR, are obtained by simultaneously operation of Optical Double Sideband (ODSB) modulation and a Pulse Position Frequency Domain Modulation (PPFDM). These devices shall operate with ultrashort soliton light pulses 100 ps and 55.5 fs for conventional AOTF and all-fiber AOTPF based on PCF, respectively. In this way, a pulse will carry two bits of information after been encoded by the modulation proposed here. We then analyze the modulation ODSB - PPFDM for input pulses, polarized in the two input modes, allowing a variation in the modulation parameter εcod for each input pulse. For conventional AOTF, a phase difference dfi = pi rad was considered between both input pulses, obtaining various values of the coding parameter offset |εcod| where the AND and OR logic operations were possible. For the all-fiber AOTPF based on PCF, a phase difference of dfi = 1,28pi rad was necessary between both input pulses to generate values of coding parameter offset |εcod|, for which AND and OR logic operations were possible.