1. Gain modulation induced by the injected optical signals in Semiconductor Optical Amplifier (SOA) is the basis of the whole work in this thesis. For a good understanding of the gain dynamics in SOA, we studied the propagation of lightwave and the carrier density dynamics in SOAs. Detailed theory and simulation results about the gain modulation characteristics induced by the injected signals into the SOA are presented. The simulation results have a good guidance for the experiments in this thesis. / 2. The theory of the actively mode-locked ring laser is studied. Following the theoretical discussion about the actively mode-locked ring laser, the experimental study about a novel actively mode-locked ring laser based on cross-gain-modulation in a SOA, which is employed as both the gain medium and mode-locking element, is proposed and demonstrated. Stable uniform pulse trains with pulse-widths about 24ps at 5GHz repetition frequency are obtained. The wavelength of the mode-locked optical pulses can be continuously tuned from 1533nm to 1565nm. In the whole tuning range, the pulse-width and bandwidth of the output pulses are respectively within 22-26ps and 0.7-0.8nm. / 3. Generation and wavelength switching of picosecond pulses by optically modulating a SOA in a ring laser with eight cascaded fiber Bragg gratings playing the role of the wavelength selecting element is proposed and demonstrated. Stable amplitude equalized pulse trains with a pulsewidth about 43ps at 2.5GHz have been obtained by injecting optical control signals into the laser. When we change the modulation frequency of the injected optical signals from 2.5 GHz to 10 GHz, wavelength switchable optical pulses at 10 GHz have also been obtained through optimizing the experimental parameters such as the SOA driving current and the power of the injection optical signals. Wavelength switching among eight wavelengths is achieved by merely tuning an intra-cavity optical delay line. The theoretical analysis of multi-wavelength operation using the proposed ring cavity has also been presented. / 4. In the actively mode-locked ring laser based on 1.55mum SOA, there exist changes of both gain and refractive index since the wavelengths of the control signal and the data signal are in the same gain spectral region. The gain change is sometimes unwanted because it may result in the amplitude fluctuations of the mode locked pulses and pattern effects. We proposed an all-optical FM actively mode-locked ring laser scheme based on a 1.3mum SOA as a gain-transparent phase modulation only element. The principle of the phase modulation in 1.3mum SOA has been discussed. / 5. Optical clock recovery, which extracts a continuous train of pulses or clock from the modulated data, is an essential technology to realize all optical signal processing such as all optical regeneration repeater and all optical de multiplexing. We experimentally studied all optical clock recovery at 10GHz with switchable wavelengths using the proposed mode-locked ring laser. Very stable clock signals corresponding to the bit rate of the injection data have been obtained by injecting 10Gbit/s 231-1 PRBS data signals into the laser cavity. The side-mode-suppression ratio of the recovery clock signals is better than 28dB. The clock recovery scheme can still function well when the wavelength, polarization state and the density of zeros of the injected data signals are changed. / 6. Finally, we discussed the noises in all optical networks and all optical methods of noise reduction. All optical noise reduction methods are reviewed. We also discussed the feasibility of all optical noise reduction method using the proposed ring laser scheme. / With the advances in Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexing (DWDM) and Optical Time Division Multiplexing (OTDM) technologies and their ever-widening applications, optical transport networks will eventually evolve into all optical networks based on DWDM and OTDM or their combination. However, the adoption of optical technologies has a significant impact on network transmission performance because there will be many optical amplifiers, wavelength division multiplexing devices and optical cross connects which may bring optical noises and time jitters to the all optical networks. Hence many key technologies including the generation of ultrashort optical pulses and all optical signal regeneration are needed in order to realize all optical transport networks. This dissertation mainly describes the generation of optical pulses and all optical clock recovery for all optical signal regeneration. Several theoretical and experimental research results have been obtained as follows. / He Jian. / "April 2006." / Adviser: K. T. Chan. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 67-11, Section: B, page: 6610. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2006. / Includes bibliographical references. / Electronic reproduction. Hong Kong : Chinese University of Hong Kong, [2012] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Electronic reproduction. [Ann Arbor, MI] : ProQuest Information and Learning, [200-] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Abstracts in English and Chinese. / School code: 1307.

This thesis documents the development of plasma waveguides for high-intensity laser pulses. Initial work concentrated on the development of the discharge-ablated capillary waveguide, based on the work of A. Zigler (Zigler, A., Y. Ehrlich, C. Cohen, J. Krall and P. Sprangle, J. Opt. Soc. Am. B 13, 68). The waveguide was shown to be capable of guiding picosecond laser pulses with an intensity of 10¹⁶ W cm^-2 over a length of 10 mm. The pulse energy transmission of the capillary was increased from 48% to 70% when the discharge was fired. An interferometry-based measurement technique was developed, allowing measurement of the electron density profile formed in the capillary waveguide. These measurements were used as input to a numerical simulation that predicted the propagation of intense laser pulses through partially-ionised plasma waveguides. Numerical simulations accurately reproduced the picosecond pulse guiding results, and gave important insights into the properties and severe drawbacks of partially-ionised waveguides. Previous work on partially-ionised plasma waveguides has not fully explored the implications of the propagation of intense pulses through the partially-ionised plasma. For polypropylene waveguides, it was shown that for pulses with an intensity of 10¹⁶ W cm^-2, the waveguide is not capable of high-quality guiding. However, for pulses with an intensity of greater than 10¹⁷ W cm^-2, high-quality guiding is predicted through the partially-ionised waveguide in a new regime called "quasi-matched guiding". A novel gas-filled capillary discharge waveguide was designed and built. The device was shown to form a guiding channel inside a capillary pre-filled with gas. Interferometry measurements of the electron density profile formed in a hydrogen-filled capillary discharge waveguide showed that an approximately parabolic plasma waveguide could be formed in an essentially fully-ionised hydrogen plasma. The device was used to guide femtosecond laser pulses, with an intensity of 10¹⁷ W cm^-2, over distances of 20 and 40 mm, with a pulse energy transmission of 92% and 82% respectively. For the 20 mm-long waveguide, the peak intensity in the output plane of the waveguide was 70% of that at the waveguide input. These results indicate the lowest coupling and insertion losses of any waveguide published to date. The gas-filled capillary discharge waveguide is shown to be capable and versatile, and is suited for use as a tool in other applications. The use of the waveguide in the fields of XUV lasers and laser wakefield acceleration is discussed.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--McMaster University (Canada), 1995. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 56-12, Section: B, page: 6833. Adviser: J. S. Preston.

Thesis (Ph.D.) - University of St Andrews, December 2007.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Physics, Georgia Institute of Technology, 2006. / Trebino, Rick, Committee Chair ; First, Phillip, Committee Member ; Ralph, Stephen, Committee Member ; Kennedy, Brian, Committee Member ; Buck, John, Committee Member.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Oregon, 2005. / Typescript. Includes vita and abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 166-173). Also available for download via the World Wide Web; free to University of Oregon users.

by Chan Lai Yin Simon. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 1995. / Includes bibliographical references. / Chapter Chapter 1: --- Introduction / Chapter 1.1 --- Background --- p.1-2 / Chapter 1.2 --- Properties of the InGaAsP quaternary alloy on InP substrate --- p.2 / Chapter 1.2.1 --- Physical Properties of In1-xGaxASyP1-y on InP substrate --- p.3-4 / Chapter 1.2.2 --- Optical Properties of In1-xGaxASyP1-y on InP substrate --- p.4-7 / Chapter 1.2.3 --- Nonlinear Optical Property of InGaAsP --- p.7-9 / Chapter 1.3 --- Fabrication of InGaAsP/InP rib waveguide / Chapter 1.3.1 --- Epitaxial Growth of In1-xGaxASyP1-y on InP substrate by MOCVD --- p.9 / Chapter 1.3.2 --- Etching of the five layer In1-xGaxASyP1-y slab waveguide --- p.9-12 / Chapter 1.4 --- Overview of the thesis --- p.12-13 / References --- p.13-15 / Chapter Chapter 2: --- Modal analysis of the single mode III-V semiconductor waveguidesin multi-layer rib structure by Effective Index Method / Chapter 2.1 --- Introduction --- p.16-17 / Chapter 2.2 --- Modal analysis of the rib waveguides --- p.17-27 / Chapter 2.3 --- Optical Confinement in rib waveguide --- p.28-30 / Chapter 2.4 --- Conclusions and discussions --- p.30-31 / References --- p.31-33 / Chapter Chapter 3: --- Ultrashort Pulsewidth Measurement Part I / Chapter 3.1 --- Introduction --- p.34 / Chapter 3.2 --- Pulsewidth measurement by streak camera --- p.34-37 / Chapter 3.3 --- Pulsewidth measurement by nonlinear autocorrelation --- p.37-40 / Chapter 3.3.1 --- Second Harmonic Generation Autocorrelator --- p.40-43 / Chapter 3.3.2 --- Two Photon Fluorescence Autocorrelator --- p.43-44 / Chapter 3.4 --- Two Photon Absorption Waveguide Autocorrelator --- p.45 / Chapter 3.4.1 --- TPA theory --- p.45-48 / Chapter 3.4.2 --- Autocorrelation Measurement by TPA in InGaAsP Waveguide --- p.48-51 / Chapter 3.4.3 --- The Estimated performance of the TPA Waveguide Autocorrelator --- p.52 / References --- p.52-57 / Chapter Chapter 4: --- Ultrashort Pulsewidth Measurement Part II: High Sensitivity Two Photon Absorption InGaAsP Waveguide Autocorrelator for Low Power Pulsewidth Measurement of 1.55μm Waveguide Pulses / Chapter 4.1 --- Introduction --- p.58-60 / Chapter 4.2 --- Waveguide structures --- p.60 / Chapter 4.3 --- Practical Implementation of the TPA Waveguide Autocorrelator / Chapter 4.3.1 --- Mirror arrangement for the delay system --- p.61 -63 / Chapter 4.3.2 --- Alignment and Coupling of the InGaAsP/InP Waveguide --- p.63-64 / Chapter 4.3.3 --- TPA photocurrent detection --- p.64-65 / Chapter 4.4 --- Experimental results --- p.65-67 / Chapter 4.4.1 --- Pulsewidth measurement of the TPA InGaAsP waveguide autocorrelator --- p.67-71 / Chapter 4.4.2 --- Spectral analysis by the TPA InGaAsP waveguide autocorrelator --- p.71 -73 / Chapter 4.5 --- Conclusions and discussions --- p.73-75 / References --- p.75-78 / Chapter Chapter 5: --- Picosecond Pulses Generation by Colliding-Pulse Mode-locking of a Fabry-Perot Laser Diode with an Intra-cavity Gradual Degradation Defect / Chapter 5.1 --- Introduction --- p.79-80 / Chapter 5.2 --- Gain-switching --- p.80-84 / Chapter 5.3 --- Colliding Pulse Mode-locking --- p.84-85 / Chapter 5.3.1 --- Degradation of diode laser --- p.85-86 / Chapter 5.3.2 --- CPM Theory --- p.86-89 / Chapter 5.3.3 --- Experimental results --- p.89-92 / Chapter 5.4 --- Conclusions and discussions --- p.92-93 / References --- p.94-98 / Chapter Chapter 6: --- Conclusions / Chapter 6.1 --- Summary of the Research / Chapter 6.1.1 --- Theoretical Results --- p.99-100 / Chapter 6.1.2 --- Experimental Results --- p.101-104 / Chapter 6.2 --- Future Development / Chapter 6.2.1 --- Improvement of the TPA InGaAsP waveguide autocorrelator --- p.105 / Chapter 6.2.2 --- Future development of III-V semiconductor waveguides --- p.105-107 / References --- p.107-108 / Appendix --- p.109-121

Lee Ka-lun. / "September 2003." / Thesis (Ph.D.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2003. / Includes bibliographical references. / Electronic reproduction. Hong Kong : Chinese University of Hong Kong, [2012] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Mode of access: World Wide Web. / Abstracts in English and Chinese.

In the last decade, there has been tremendous progress in the field of ultrashort-pulse measurement. However, this effort has focused mostly on the temporal behavior of 100-fs, 800-nm ultrashort pulse, ignoring other pulse lengths, wavelengths, and the very common space-time couplings or so called spatio-temporal distortions. In this thesis work, I do an extensive study of spatio-temporal distortions and their measurement using Frequency Resolved Optical Gating (FROG) and its relatives. I clarify some ambiguities in the descriptions of these effects in the existing theory and establish a more general description of such distortions in ultrashort pulses. I also extend these measurement techniques to different wavelengths and pulse lengths. Specifically, I develop measurement devices for few-cycle NIR pulses, weak and narrowband fiber laser pulses, long (several-ps) NIR pulses, and visible pulses from NOPAs.

We have used ultrafast optics, primarily focused on the nonlinear processes of Polarization Gating and of Optical Parametric Amplification, one for measurement and the other for imaging purposes. For measurement, we have demonstrated a robust method of measurement to simultaneously measure both optical pulses used in a pump-probe type configuration. We refer to this method of pulse measurement as Double Blind Polarization Gating FROG. We have demonstrated this single-shot method for measuring two unknown pulses using one device. In addition to pulse measurement, we have demonstrated the processes of Optical Parametric Amplification (OPA) applicability to imaging of complex objects. We have done this where the Fourier transform plane is used during the interaction. We have amplified and wavelength converted a complex image. We observe a gain of ~100, and, although our images were averaged over many shots, we used a single-shot geometry, capable of true single-shot OPA imaging. To our knowledge, this is the first Fourier-plane OPA imaging of more than a single spatial-frequency component of an image. We observe more than 30 distinct spatial frequency components in both our amplified image and our wavelength shifted image. We have demonstrated all-optical spatial filtering for these complex images. We have demonstrated that direct Fourier filtering of spatial features is possible by using a shaped pump beam. We can isolate certain portions of the image simply by rotating the crystal.